The Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), in partnership with NEIWPCC, has extended the implementation timeline for the open Land Conservation funding opportunity to better support projects that require extended planning and acquisition periods.
Awarded projects will now have a completion deadline of December 31, 2028, allowing applicants additional time and flexibility to achieve lasting conservation results.
The intent of this opportunity is to support the acquisition of land or conservation easements. Priority will be given to projects that protect or improve water quality, enhance aquatic, riparian, or shoreline habitat for native species, or provide flood resiliency.
Up to $4,000,000 is available to support awarded projects. Each applicant may request a minimum of $100,000 up to a maximum of $4,000,000 for an individual proposal. Multiple proposals will be accepted from a single organization. Eligible organizations are entities authorized by the corresponding State law (New York or Vermont) to hold conservation easements or property titles within these jurisdictions. These entities may include land trusts, not-for-profit organizations, or non-federal/non-state government entities.
The awarded grants will support projects that advance the goals of the long-term Lake Champlain management plan Opportunities for Action (plan.lcbp.org). This grant opportunity is supported by funds awarded to Lake Champlain by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Proposals are due at 5:00 PM EST on November 12, 2025. Awarded projects are targeted to begin work in April 2026 and must be completed by December 2028. More information, including grant guidelines and applications, is available on the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s website at lcbp.org/grants.
Lake Champlain: Image from lcbp.org
