The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced 41 grant awards totaling nearly $11.5 million.
These funds, according to the NFWF press release, will: clean up and restore polluted waters; enhance fish and wildlife habitat; and increase access to nature throughout the Delaware River watershed.
According to NFWF, grantee organizations have committed more than $13.5 million in match, totaling about $25 million.
The grants were awarded through two programs administered by NFWF. The first is the Delaware River Restoration Fund (DRRF), funded by the William Penn Foundation, and the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund (DWCF), funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“These 41 projects announced today will help ensure a healthier, cleaner, and more resilient future for the Delaware River watershed and the diverse species that depend on it,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF in the press release.
The awards announced will fund projects in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, assisting the goals of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative, NFWF’s Delaware Watershed Business Plan, and the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act.
Grant awards include:
- $237,000 via the DWCF to National Wildlife Federation to implement “Sacred Grounds Program: Installing Pollinator Gardens and Engaging Communities of Faith” in Delaware;
- $179,500 to the New Castle Conservation District via the DWCF to implement “Dam Removal in the White Clay Creek” in Delaware;
- $500,000 via the DWCF for the Upstream Alliance to engage the local community in “Developing a Water Trail and Recreational Programming in Camden” in New Jersey;
- $75,000 to Catskill Mountainkeeper via the DWCF for “Protecting Eastern Brook Trout Habitat through Invasive Management in the Beaverkill Valley” in New York; And
- $255,000 through the DRRF to Berks Nature to improve water quality by “Implementing Agricultural Best Management Practices in the Middle Schuylkill Cluster” in Pennsylvania.
A full list of 2021 Delaware River Restoration Fund projects receiving grants is available here. See the full list of 2021 Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund grants here. See a list of quotes from elected officials about the grant announcement here. For more information about NFWF’s Delaware River efforts, please visit www.nfwf.org/delaware.
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