Last Updated: April 3, 2026
PREP is thrilled to announce our Request for Proposals for our 2026-2027 Piscataqua Region Environmental Planning Assessment Grant Program—also known as the PREPA Grant Program. These grants support any of the 52 cities and towns within the Piscataqua Region Watershed in both Maine and New Hampshire. The program helps our communities make big strides in protecting their natural resources and water quality, as well as in preparing for and adapting to recurring extreme weather events. We’re thrilled to see this impactful grant program as it enters its 6th round of funding!
PREPA Grants provide $5,000-$25,000 to support projects in these key areas:
- Wetland & Shoreland Protections: Safeguarding water bodies and areas along shores, rivers, and vernal pools as well as other wetlands.
- Floodplain Management: Reducing flood risk by strengthening local floodplain and planning for future flood hazards.
- Land Conservation: Protecting important natural areas and open space through planning, conservation tools, and local land use policies.
- Stormwater Management: Managing stormwater runoff through stronger standards, low impact development, and local stormwater planning.
- Septic System Management: Protecting water quality by improving septic system standards, tracking systems, and promoting proper maintenance.
- Climate Resilience: Preparing communities for climate impacts through vulnerability assessments, planning, and actions that reduce future risk.
- Drinking water protections: Supporting plan adoption and local actions to protect drinking water sources.
About The 2026 PREPA: the perfect inspiration for your project proposal
What is new about the 2026-2027 PREPA Grant cycle? We have officially released our latest Piscataqua Region Environmental Planning Assessment (PREPA).
This assessment does the leg work of identifying gaps or inconsistency in water quality and natural resource protections in our entire region, organized by municipality. The assessment includes both regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to resources management.
This updated assessment was a true regional effort. PREP is immensely grateful to our close partners, whose collaboration was essential in gathering the data and insights that make this tool so valuable for our communities:
- Rockingham Planning Commission
- Strafford Regional Planning Commission
- Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission
- Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission
By reviewing the data for your specific city or town, you can use that analysis as a direct foundation and inspiration for your project proposal.
A screenshot of the PREPA look-up tool on the PREP website.
To Get Started: Visit the PREPA Grant page on our website and scroll down to the “Get Ideas for your Grant” section.
Click the dropdown menu to open it. Locate and select your municipality. Once selected, your municipality’s top four recommendations will appear.
Click the blue “Download Data" to download your municipality’s full PREPA data.
Assistant Director Abigail Lyon
Book Personalized Grant Support with Abigail Lyon
We strive to make the entire grant process—from application to reporting—as accessible as possible. Our current application is intentionally brief and Assistant Director Abigail Lyon is always available to answer your questions, brainstorm your budding ideas, or provide first-time application support.
Book office hours with Abigail to talk more about your project! Or email her at Abigail.Lyon@unh.edu
Watch our Introductory Webinar
If you’re new to our PREPA Grant Program, watch our introductory webinar! Recorded last year, the webinar walks you through the fundamentals of our program, eligibility requirements, and how to use the Piscataqua Region Environmental Planning Assessment data as inspiration for your project proposal.
Note: The 2026 PREPA is now available to help guide your 2026 application!