Federal Resilience Programs: North American Wetlands Conservation Act

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), established in 1989, is a federal grant program dedicated to protecting and restoring wetland habitats for migratory birds in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Wetlands provide critical ecosystem services, including storm protection valued at $23.2 billion annually in the U.S., carbon sequestration, and wave energy absorption. Since its inception, NAWCA has funded over 3,000 projects, protecting more than 32 million acres of wetlands and leveraging $1.6 billion in federal funds into over $4.6 billion in matching grants. Recent funding was reauthorized through the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act of 2020, with annual funding of up to $60 million through Fiscal Year 2025.

• Wetlands provide significant economic and physical protection against climate impacts; coastal wetlands in the U.S. provide an estimated $23.2 billion in annual storm protection, while 15 feet of marsh can absorb up to 50 percent of incoming wave energy and 330 feet of mangrove trees can reduce wave height by 66 percent.
• The NAWCA has achieved substantial conservation outcomes since 1989, protecting over 32 million acres through more than 3,000 projects across all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• The program is highly effective at leveraging private and partner funding; while it requires a one-to-one match, partners provide an average of $3.20 for every $1 of federal money, turning $1.6 billion in federal funds into more than $4.6 billion in matching grants.
• In 2021, NAWCA funded projects protecting over 160,000 acres of wetlands in states including Maine, Arkansas, and South Carolina, as well as the Continental Marsh Enhancement project in Louisiana's Terrebonne and Pontchartrain Basins to restore 5,280 acres.
• The America’s Conservation Enhancement Act of October 2020 reauthorized NAWCA funding up to $60 million annually until Fiscal Year 2025, supporting goals to conserve 30 percent of U.S. land and water by 2030.

APA

Bertrand, S. (2021). Federal Resilience Programs: North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/federal-resilience-programs-north-american-wetlands-conservation-act

Chicago

Bertrand, Savannah. Federal Resilience Programs: North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2021. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/federal-resilience-programs-north-american-wetlands-conservation-act.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bertrand |first1=Savannah |title=Federal Resilience Programs: North American Wetlands Conservation Act |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=1 October 2021 |url=https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/federal-resilience-programs-north-american-wetlands-conservation-act |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bertrand2021federal, author = {Bertrand, Savannah}, title = {{Federal Resilience Programs: North American Wetlands Conservation Act}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/federal-resilience-programs-north-american-wetlands-conservation-act}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }