WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 14 announced $3.46 million in wetland grant funding for nine communities across EPA Region 9, encompassing California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and Pacific Island territories.
The grants fund locally led wetland restoration and protection projects, emphasizing community-designed approaches tailored to local environmental conditions, the EPA said. Region 9 encompasses some of the nation’s most ecologically stressed wetland ecosystems, including California coastal wetlands, Hawaiian freshwater systems and desert riparian areas.
Wetlands provide critical ecological services including flood control, water filtration, wildlife habitat and carbon sequestration. The EPA said the projects are designed to protect and restore natural infrastructure that delivers measurable benefits to the communities surrounding the funded sites.
The nine funded projects represent a geographically diverse set of restoration investments across the Pacific Southwest. Specific recipient communities and project descriptions were detailed in the EPA’s announcement.
For communities in the funded areas, wetland restoration can reduce flood damage, improve water quality and support fisheries and recreation economies. Studies have shown that wetland conservation delivers economic benefits that far exceed the cost of restoration, particularly in coastal areas subject to storm surge and flooding.
The United States has lost more than half of its original wetland acreage since European settlement, according to federal estimates. Remaining wetlands face ongoing threats from development, pollution, drought and climate-related changes.