CONCORD, NH – The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Aquatic Resource Mitigation (ARM) Fund is now accepting pre-proposals for the 2018 Grant Round. The ARM Fund Program provides wetlands permit applicants with the option to contribute payments to this fund in lieu of implementation of several other possible and more traditional compensatory mitigation alternatives. These other mitigation options might include restoration of existing impaired wetlands, land acquisition and preservation, or construction of new wetlands. In many circumstances, these other options may be more costly, time consuming or complex to implement for the wetlands permit holder as compared with an ARM Fund contribution.
The ARM Fund Program has been a successful option for permit applicants and has resulted in the funding of many significant wetland preservation and restoration projects across the state. Projects that have been awarded funds include those that provide significant wetlands restoration or land conservation and are focused on areas of important and/or vulnerable wetlands with regional significance. In the past eight grant rounds, the ARM Fund has funded 80 projects that include preservation and habitat restoration as well as stream passage improvement projects. These projects have resulted in approximately 16,000 acres of land conservation, 100 acres of restoration/enhancement, and over 15 miles of stream restoration.
NHDES accounts for ARM Fund payments on a major watershed basis. The ARM Fund is currently soliciting grant proposals for $6 million which is available in the nine watersheds throughout the state. Please see our website www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wetlands/wmp/index.htm for application forms and for additional information about the program. Pre-proposals are due April 30, 2018. The pre-applications will be reviewed the month of May and feedback given to each applicant. Full applications are due August 31, 2018. For more information, please contact Lori Sommer, NHDES Wetland Mitigation Coordinator at lori.sommer@des.nh.gov or (603) 271-4059.
For information about ongoing funding opportunities, see NHCAW’s Funding Opportunities Page.