Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program is accepting project funding applications, as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources program celebrates 25 years. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 17.
Projects that positively impact the natural, economic, recreational, or cultural resources of Minnesota’s Lake Superior coastal area are eligible for funding. Categories for this matching grant program include:
- Administrative – planning, managing or researching coastal resources, with grant amounts ranging between $10,000 and $100,000
- Coastal resource improvement – low-cost construction or land acquisition, with grant amounts ranging between $25,000 and $150,000
Approximately $600,000 is available to fund projects that would begin in fall 2025. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management provides the funding for these grants. Applicants must provide dollar-for-dollar match from a non‐federal source.
Minnesota's Lake Superior Coastal Program is a voluntary federal-state partnership dedicated to the comprehensive management of our coastal resources. The program provides technical and financial resources for the local community by bringing federal dollars into Minnesota for the Lake Superior coastal area.
Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program has dispersed more than $15.75 million in grants to more than 700 projects since its inception in 1999.
“Our annual grant program is an important funding source for local communities and other partners, helping them provide protection of coastal resources while enhancing places for people to live, work and play,” Program Manager Amber Westerbur said. “We encourage anyone eligible to apply, to help build a legacy for the next 25 years.”
The coastal area covers portions of Carlton, Cook, Lake and St. Louis counties, the Fond du Lac and Grand Portage reservations, and the Minnesota waters of Lake Superior. Local, state and tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, area‐wide and regional planning agencies, colleges and universities, public school districts, port authorities, joint powers boards and sanitary sewer districts are eligible to apply.
Application materials and additional details are available on the Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program webpage. The Coastal Program also offers reduced match grants for small-scale projects. See the small grant notice on the webpage.
For questions about the grants and how to apply, contact Cynthia Poyhonen, grants specialist, at 218‐834‐1447 or [email protected].