The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $3.5 million through the National Estuary Grant Program support projects to protect and restore the nation’s estuaries.
The funds were the second such award from EPA to Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE), which mages the National Estuary Program (NEP) Watersheds Grant Program.
“Estuaries provide unique recreational and economic opportunity to nearby communities while also cultivating wildlife and protecting our coastlines from flooding,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “EPA is committed to helping protect these important coastal waters through the National Estuary Program, which includes 28 estuaries of significance around the country. EPA’s $3.5 million will support future projects for these important coastal ecosystems.”
EPA says that the grant program will provide funding to projects that apply new or innovative approaches to treat, remove, or prevent pollution before it enters estuaries; that build sustained local capacity to protect coastal watersheds; and that bolster resilience to the impacts of climate change. The program will provide funding between a range from $200,000 to $500,000.
Over the next six years, EPA expects the program to provide a total of $18 million, depending on the availability of funding and the program’s success.