Maryland DNR Grants Gateway open for Fiscal Year 2028 funding
A newly constructed living shoreline on Tilghman Island protects a tidal wetland and adjacent community from coastal flood impacts. Maryland DNR photo by Maggie Cavey.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Grants Gateway opens July 15, 2026 for applications from local governments and organizations for Fiscal Year 2028.
Through this process, DNR connects Maryland communities with funding opportunities for projects and programs that improve water quality in local waterways, increase communities’ resilience to storms and changing conditions, strengthen local economies, develop environmental stewards, and increase beneficial use of dredged material.
The department’s Grants Gateway solicitation provides a streamlined hub for multiple funding sources–enabling prospective applicants to find the program that meets their needs.
Recently completed projects funded through Grants Gateway include:
- A newly constructed 665 linear-foot living shoreline on Tilghman Island in Talbot County, including 60 concrete oyster structures plus plantings on dunes and marsh. Behind the shoreline is a nontidal wetland and meadow that provide wildlife habitat and additional water quality benefits. This project, funded through DNR’s Resilience through Restoration program, restores and protects the tidal wetland and adjacent community while serving as a pilot project for Talbot County’s Green Infrastructure Plan.
- The Middle Branch Resiliency Initiative Demonstration Project stabilized about 2,000 linear feet of eroding shoreline while restoring approximately 8.5 acres of tidal marsh and aquatic habitat, generating significant water quality improvements. This transformational project expanded the quantity, quality, and diversity of urban aquatic habitat in the Middle Branch while providing protection from coastal storm damage and flooding. It was funded through the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund and leveraged significant additional financial support from Baltimore City and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
- To address projected daily flooding increases in the San Domingo Creek in St. Michaels, a Community Flood Planning grant funded a feasibility assessment to evaluate the potential use of a tide gate to reduce upstream sea level rise and storm surge impacts and protect residential and infrastructure properties in the area. A concept design along with potential funding sources for implementation was also presented for consideration as part of this project.
Grants are made possible with funding through the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Resilience through Restoration Initiative, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program, and the Shore Erosion Loan Program.
The applications are listed by individual funding program as described on the Grants Gateway page.
A virtual webinar overviewing each funding program will be held on August 20, 2026 at 2 p.m.. Applicants are encouraged to attend, registration and more details are online. More information on all grant programs can be found on DNR’s Grants Gateway page.
