The Long Island Sound Futures Fund received 41 grants totaling $10.3 million to improve the health of the environment.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, among other leading federal and state environmental agencies and officials from New England and New York, announced the grants, which are matched by $5.8 million, resulting in $16.1 million total funding for projects in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, according to a Dec. 12 news release.
"The Long Island Sound is a critical natural resource that supports a diverse ecosystem and provides advantages to millions of people along its coast," EPA Region 2 Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said in the release. "EPA's ongoing investments in community-based programs and water quality improvements immediately benefit the Sound, reducing nitrogen runoff and helping restore miles of river habitat."
These grants will reach 319,000 people through a number of environmental education programs, the release reported. Some of the projects include removing marine debris, preventing polluted stormwater from flowing into the Sound and enhance vital habitats for fish and wildlife.
“We are proud to support locally driven, innovative projects that will protect Long Island Sound," EPA New England Regional Administrator David Cash said in the release. "These projects are designed to improve water quality, support environmental justice initiatives, enhance community resilience to storms and floods and provide public access in an urban coastal community of Long Island Sound.”
