NH Wetland Mitigation Grant Program - Aquatic Resource Mitigation ( ARM) Fund

The NH Wetland Mitigation Grant Program, managed by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, aims to sustain aquatic resources. Through the Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund, it offers an alternative to traditional mitigation by allowing In-Lieu Fee payments to support restoration and enhancement projects. The program pools funds from nine watersheds and provides competitive grants to ensure the long-term health and function of aquatic ecosystems, aligning with the federal goal of 'no net loss'.

Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund
Working to sustain the functions and values of aquatic resources in New Hampshire.
When there are unavoidable impacts to streams and wetlands, the Aquatic Resource Mitigation (ARM) Fund offers an alternative to permittee-responsible mitigation. An In-Lieu Fee (ILF) payment may be made to the ARM Fund to compensate for losses to aquatic resources and functions from a project. The funds are pooled according to nine watersheds called Service Areas, and then made available as competitive grants to fund preservation, restoration and enhancement activities across the state. As the ILF sponsor, NHDES holds and manages the collected funds, and announces a grant round (i.e. Request for Proposals) annually. The goal of the program is to provide sustainable compensatory mitigation meeting the federal goal of “no net loss” of functions and values of aquatic resources by supporting restoration, enhancement, establishment and, under certain circumstances, preservation activities that are ecologically important and will effectively sustain aquatic resource functions in the watershed for the long term.