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Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Grants

Find information on these grants administered by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).

The Coastal Habitat and Water Quality (CHWQ) Grants provide financial resources for projects that assess and treat stormwater pollution and advance habitat restoration and comprehensive restoration planning. Municipalities within the Massachusetts coastal watershed are eligible to apply, along with federally recognized Tribes, certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, regional planning agencies, and stormwater collaboratives in partnership with eligible municipalities. The former Coastal Pollutant Remediation (CPR) Grants have been merged into the CHWQ Grants. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 ECO One Stop Request for Responses (RFR), which includes CHWQ Grants, has been released.

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Updates

NEW: Apply now for Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Grants through the new Environment & Climate One Stop (ECO One Stop) application by March 20.

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and CZM are currently seeking proposals for CHWQ Grants through the new Environment & Climate One Stop (ECO One Stop) application.

Details for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 CHWQ Grants are now included as part of the ECO One Stop FY 2027 Grants Round Request for Responses (RFR).

The RFR and application can be accessed through the Grants Management System (GMS). Please note that applications can now only be submitted through the GMS.

Applicants should reference the ECO One Stop Grants Catalogue for what information to include when answering questions in the combined application and for specific grant programs (as applicable). A matrix of the required information by grant program is also available for reference.

To apply for CHWQ Grants, the ECO One Stop application must be completed by Friday, March 20, at 11:59 p.m.

Question and Answers

All questions on the FY 2027 ECO One Stop RFR, including questions on the FY 2027 CHWQ Grants, will need to be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. on February 18. Questions can be submitted either by email to ecoonestop@mass.gov or through the Bid Q&A tab on COMMBUYS. Responses to questions will be published to COMMBUYS on or before February 25, at 11:59 p.m. (estimated).

FY 2027 ECO One Stop RFR & Application Webinar

On January 27 and 28, EEA hosted informational webinars to discuss the ECO One Stop application process, review this round’s participating grant programs and combined application, and answer questions. See the ECO One Stop RFR Webinar video.

Using the GMS to Submit Your ECO One Stop Application: How-To Webinar

On January 29, EEA hosted a webinar on how to submit a FY 2027 ECO One Stop application through the EEA Grants Management System. This webinar covered how to create a GMS account, navigate the GMS platform, and access and submit an ECO One Stop application. See the How to Use the GMS for ECO One Stop video. 

MassEnviroScreen Office Hours

Applicants for grants within the ECO One Stop are advised to use MassEnviroScreen to help identify the most environmentally vulnerable or burdened communities in Massachusetts. Join EEA for MassEnviroScreen Office Hours to get your questions answered regarding the draft MassEnviroScreen and how to use it to complete your ECO One Stop grant application.

  • Wednesday, February 4 - 12:00-1:00 p.m. - Register
  • Wednesday, February 11 - 3:00-4:00 p.m. - Register
  • Wednesday, March 11 - 12:00-1:00 p.m. - Register

Eligibility and Project Types

The Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Grants are open to municipalities within the Massachusetts coastal watershed, along with federally recognized Tribes, certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, regional governments or regional planning agencies, and stormwater collaboratives when in partnership with eligible municipalities.

Projects eligible for CHWQ funding should advance one or more of the following project categories. (Note: For these CHWQ project categories, the ECO One Stop Project Types that must be selected in the ECO One Stop application are given in italics.) 

  • Assessment, identification, and characterization of stormwater nonpoint source pollution (NPS) impacts to eligible waterbodies within the Massachusetts coastal watershed, specifically surface stormwater discharges, and prioritization of sites for remediation. ECO One Stop Project Type: “Stormwater Management (e.g. green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, structural Best Management Practices)”
  • Design, permitting, implementation, and/or retrofits of structural stormwater best management practices (BMPs) to remediate surface stormwater runoff from paved or unpaved roads, bridges, and municipal parking lots that address contaminants of concern impairing water quality in receiving waters. ECO One Stop Project Type: “Stormwater Management (e.g. green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, structural Best Management Practices)”
  • Capacity-building activities to support implementation of green stormwater infrastructure (methods that replicate natural processes to trap and filter stormwater prior to reaching local waterbodies), including trainings for municipal staff, bylaw review and development, and case studies. ECO One Stop Project Type: “Stormwater Management (e.g. green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, structural Best Management Practices)” or “Regulatory Updates”
  • Comprehensive habitat restoration planning, including evaluation and assessment of stressors to habitats, identification of effective and feasible alternatives to support restoration, and development of comprehensive habitat restoration plans to detail findings and recommendations of concrete, short- and long-term actions for the restoration of coastal habitat within the selected project area. Projects with previously completed planning efforts and/or pre-identified priority restoration actions will not be competitive for this project category. ECO One Stop Project Type: “Land Use Planning” or “Wetland Restoration and Enhancement”
  • Advancement of priority land acquisition planning activities, including conducting planning for and evaluation of potential lands for future acquisition for the purposes of restoration, buffer protection, and/or future marsh migration, as identified in an approved comprehensive habitat restoration plan completed under a previous CHWQ Grants project. ECO One Stop Project Type: “Land Acquisition” or “Wetland Restoration and Enhancement”
  • Data collection and engineering to support future implementation of crossing infrastructure improvements or retrofits for habitat restoration, including advancing data collection, assessments, and engineering designs related to a future improvement and/or retrofit of municipally owned crossing infrastructure for priority restoration actions. ECO One Stop Project Type: “Culvert or Small Bridge Upgrade or Removal” or “Wetland Restoration and Enhancement”

To be competitive, applications should also describe past or planned public outreach, supporting meaningful participation and engagement in the development or implementation of project activities to increase participatory decision making in the categories above.

Application Timeline and Process

Applications for this CHWQ grant round must be submitted through the new Environment & Climate One Stop (ECO One Stop) application by Friday, March 20, at 11:59 p.m.

Details for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 CHWQ Grants are now included as part of the ECO One Stop FY 2027 Grants Round Request for Responses (RFR). The RFR and application can be accessed through the Grants Management System (GMS). Please note that applications can now only be submitted through the GMS. 

Question and Answers 

All questions on the FY 2027 ECO One Stop RFR, including questions on the FY 2027 CHWQ Grants, will need to be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. on February 18. Questions can be submitted either by email to ecoonestop@mass.gov or through the Bid Q&A tab on COMMBUYS. Responses to questions will be published to COMMBUYS on or before February 25, at 11:59 p.m. (estimated).

FY 2027 ECO One Stop RFR & Application Webinar

On January 27 and 28, EEA hosted informational webinars to discuss the ECO One Stop application process, review this round’s participating grant programs and combined application, and answer questions. See the ECO One Stop RFR Webinar video.

Using the GMS to Submit Your ECO One Stop Application: How-To Webinar

On January 29, EEA hosted a webinar on how to submit a FY 2027 ECO One Stop application through the EEA Grants Management System. This webinar covered how to create a GMS account, navigate the GMS platform, and access and submit an ECO One Stop application. See the How to Use the GMS for ECO One Stop video.

MassEnviroScreen Office Hours

Applicants for grants within the ECO One Stop are advised to use MassEnviroScreen to help identify the most environmentally vulnerable or burdened communities in Massachusetts. Join EEA for MassEnviroScreen Office Hours to get your questions answered regarding the draft MassEnviroScreen and how to use it to complete your ECO One Stop grant application.

  • Wednesday, February 4 - 12:00-1:00 p.m. - Register
  • Wednesday, February 11 - 3:00-4:00 p.m. - Register
  • Wednesday, March 11 - 12:00-1:00 p.m. - Register

Guidance Documents

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review these resources to inform a proposal to the Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Grants as applicable.

  • Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management Grant Viewer - The Grant Viewer provides examples of projects funded by CZM from 2014 to present. Projects listed include those from the Coastal Pollutant Remediation Grant (CPR) Program (formerly available), Coastal Habitat and Water Quality Grant (CHWQ), and Coastal Resilience Grant Program.
  • EEA Climate Grant Viewer - This viewer shows Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Planning and Action grants, as well as other grant programs offered through EEA that work to build local resilience. To find climate vulnerability assessments, select the MVP Grant Program section of the viewer, choose the Planning Grants tab, and then click on a community to open a pop-up box with a link to “More info.”
  • Massachusetts Ocean Resource Information System (MORIS) - CZM's official data portal allows users to create customized maps with a variety of data layers related to the Massachusetts coastal zone and nearshore ocean. Data layers include the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Integrated List of Waters, diadromous fish, Massachusetts Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model, and many more.
  • Climate Change Impacts to Coastal Stormwater BMPs - Stormwater BMPs in coastal areas are subject to flooding, storm damage, and salt and wind exposure—impacts that are exacerbated by sea level rise, higher groundwater levels, and increased frequency and intensity of storm and precipitation events due to climate change. In 2015, CZM and MassDEP contracted Horsley Witten Group, Inc., (with support from the Woods Hole Group) to assess potential impacts to coastal BMPs due to climate change, evaluate existing coastal BMPs, and develop a set of recommendations for coastal communities. Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Stormwater BMPs and Recommended BMP Design Considerations in Coastal Communities provides results of this project and is intended to help municipalities address the unique challenges of siting, designing, and constructing BMPs on the coast.
  • Operation, Maintenance, and Performance Evaluation - In 2005, CZM contracted with the Horsley Witten Group, Inc., to conduct field inspections of stormwater BMPs. They evaluated the maintenance history and condition of each installed BMP and made an overall assessment of its functionality. Coastal Pollutant Remediation Program Stormwater BMP Operation, Maintenance, and Performance Evaluation (PDF, 390 KB) is a summary report that details the findings of these inspections and includes a set of recommendations for improving maintenance, construction, and design of stormwater BMPs. Applicants for CHWQ Grants for stormwater remediation projects must review and incorporate these recommendations as applicable.

What projects have been funded?

Who can help me apply for a CHWQ Grant?

CZM can help potential applicants develop project ideas up until the RFR for the grant year is released. 

Please contact the following CZM staff and Regional Coordinators with any questions:

Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management

Adrienne Pappal

Kathleen Mason

Lexie Neffinger

Kathryn Glenn

Joanna Yelen

Jason Burtner

Stephen McKenna

Sam Haines

In addition to providing assistance with developing project ideas, the Massachusetts Bays and Buzzards Bay National Estuary Programs can also help applicants with grant applications.

Massachusetts Bays and Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program Contacts

Upper North Shore

  • Hanna Mogensen
  • Merrimack Valley Planning Commission
  • hmogensen@mvpc.org
  • Phone: (978) 374-0519 x16
  • Fax: (978) 372-4890

Lower North Shore

  • TBD

Metro Boston

South Shore

  • Alex Mansfield
  • North and South Rivers Watershed Association
  • alex@nsrwa.org
  • Phone: (781) 659-8168 x103

Cape Cod

  • April Wobst
  • Association to Preserve Cape Cod
  • awobst@apcc.org
  • Phone: (508) 619-3185

Buzzards Bay

  • Sarah Williams
  • Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program
  • sarah.williams@mass.gov
  • Office: (774) 377-6002
  • Mobile: (857) 268-0514

Contact Information

For more information about the CHWQ Grant Program, contact:

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