The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal and state agencies recently announced that 35 grants totaling $1.6 million were awarded to state and local government and community groups in New York and Connecticut under the Long Island Sound Futures Fund. When leveraged by an additional $3 million contributed by the recipients themselves, a total of $4.6 million will support conservation projects in both states. When completed, the projects in both states will open up fifty river miles for fish passage and restore 390 acres of critical fish and wildlife habitat. This habitat includes lakes, underwater grasses, woodlands, meadows, wetlands, beaches, and river and park frontage. Twenty grants totaling $757,922 will be awarded to groups in Connecticut leveraged by $1,419,903 in recipient contributions providing for $2.1 million in local conservation.
This public-private grant program pools funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Wells Fargo.
”Protecting and restoring Long Island Sound have long been priorities for EPA,” said EPA Regional Administrator for New England Curt Spalding in a prepared statement. “These grants will support vital and diverse projects throughout the region to improve water quality and remove pollution from the Long Island Sound watershed, and involve the public in the protection of one of the nation's most important natural treasures.”
The Long Island Sound Study initiated the Long Island Sound Futures Fund in 2005 through the EPA’s Long Island Sound Office and NFWF. To date, the program has invested $10.5 million in 261 projects in communities surrounding the Sound. With grantee match of $23 million, the Long Island Sound Futures Fund has generated a total of almost $33.5 million for projects in both states.
For more information about the twenty individual grants in Connecticut, please visit:
Background information:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1
Long Island Sound Futures Fund
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
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