The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced $4.1 million in grants for 25 projects that will aid the Delaware River Watershed.
The grants are the first to be awarded under the newly funded Delaware River Basin Conservation Act.
The 25 projects, located in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, will generate $7.5 million in matching contributions.
The new Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund is a competitive grant and technical assistance program that supports the conservation and restoration of natural areas, corridors and waterways on public and private lands in the Delaware River Watershed. The grants provide support to migratory and resident wildlife, fish and native plants, and contribute to the quality of life and economic vitality of the communities in the Delaware River Watershed, which provides drinking water for more than 15 million people, a release stated.
See the list of projects below:
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Grant recipients were announced at the Delaware Nature Society’s DuPont Environmental Education Center in Wilmington on the banks of the Christina River, a tributary to the Delaware.
This grant program is a direct result of the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act – a bill introduced and spearheaded by the Delaware Congressional Delegation.
Covering 13,539 square miles of land and water, the Delaware River Watershed is home to native brook trout, red knots, river herring, freshwater mussels, oysters and many other species that are economically, ecologically and culturally important to the region. Headwaters and streams located in rural, forested and agricultural areas play a major role in the entire ecosystem, as do urban and suburban waterways such as those in Trenton, Philadelphia.
Work supported by the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund will take place in a variety of landscapes and habitats across the Delaware River Watershed, from the beaches and tidal salt marshes of the Delaware Bay to the farms, cities and towns of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania to the cold-water rivers and streams of New York. The fund will expand and further facilitate restoration and conservation efforts in the basin to:
- Restore and conserve fish and wildlife habitat
- Improve and maintain water quality for fish, wildlife and people
- Manage water volume and improve flood damage mitigation for fish and wildlife habitat
- Improve recreational opportunities consistent with ecological needs
Through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, NFWF is awarding these Conservation Action Grants to nonprofit organizations; federal, state, interstate and local governments; Indian tribes; and educational institutions to implement on-the-ground restoration and conservation projects that achieve the goals of the framework. This year’s Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund grant recipients include:
For more information about the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund or to download the fund’s 2018 Grant Slate, please visit www.nfwf.org/delaware.
Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats. Working with federal, corporate and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 4,500 organizations and generated a conservation impact of more than $5.3 billion. Learn more at www.nfwf.org.
