The 2025 Watersheds Small Grants Program from Pierce County, Washington, supports grassroots environmental projects that aim to improve habitat and water quality within four local watersheds: Nisqually, Puyallup-White River, Chambers-Clover Creek, and the Key Peninsula-Gig Harbor-Islands (KGI) watershed. Administered by Pierce County Planning & Public Works in collaboration with local watershed councils and nonprofits, the program funds hands-on, community-based initiatives that align with each watershed’s Action Agenda or workplan.

Applications for the 2025 cycle are open from March 3 through April 30, 2025, with grant awards of up to $2,500 for most watersheds and up to $3,000 for projects in the KGI Watershed, which are eligible for Lu Winsor Environmental Grants. These funds are intended to empower individuals and organizations to conduct projects that contribute to watershed stewardship and environmental literacy.

Eligible activities include—but are not limited to—riparian plantings, invasive species removal, community clean-up events, environmental education programs, and rain garden installations. Pierce County places a strong emphasis on community involvement and encourages a wide range of applicants to apply, including nonprofit organizations, educators, schools, tribes, local governments, businesses, and individuals. There are no formal restrictions on who may apply, but projects must be non-commercial and non-political in nature. Advocacy, fundraising, or lobbying efforts are not eligible for funding.

To help potential applicants prepare successful proposals, the County will host an informational session via Zoom on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. This session will cover application guidelines, project eligibility, and evaluation criteria.

Additionally, Pierce County notes that the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) may offer supplemental funding through its Watershed Resilience Program for small projects supporting salmon recovery, climate resilience, and watershed health within the Puyallup and Nisqually watersheds. Interested applicants should reach out to Hannah King at Hannah.King@dnr.wa.gov for details about this opportunity.

Complete applications will be evaluated based on criteria specific to each watershed, and applicants are encouraged to review these documents before submission. Pierce County also provides examples of past grant recipients and their projects on its website to offer further inspiration and clarity about eligible uses of funds.