The San Francisco Bay watersheds and wetlands are being protected and restored with the help of a record-breaking $29 million in funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
According to a July 20 EPA news release, two distinct funding opportunities are being announced by the agency, and the application deadline is Sept. 20.
“Among our nation’s iconic bodies of water, the San Francisco Bay stands out not only for its unique beauty and striking vistas, but for the tremendous environmental and economic benefits it brings to California and the United States," EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman said in the release.
The San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund, a competitive grant program run by the EPA since 2008, has already awarded 59 grants totaling $71 million throughout the years, according to the release.
“These federal grants provide critical funding to support climate resiliency and safeguard wetlands throughout the Bay Area, especially in communities that have been bearing greater pollution burdens," Guzman said, according to the release.
The release states that, aside from the opportunity, the EPA is also now accepting applications for approximately $24 million in grant funding for the protection and restoration of watersheds and wetlands in the San Francisco Bay area.
According to the release, the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund has compiled the findings from finished projects, including work on wetland and watershed restoration and increased usage of green infrastructure to cut down on polluted runoff.
