New federal funding announced for Long Island Sound

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Thursday $1.2 million in new funding for environmental projects in Connecticut through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF). The announcement event was held on Stratford Point in Stratford, Connecticut, a project site that has undergone restoration work supported by LISFF.

“This is really a living example of what can happen when we work together,” Deb Szaro, Acting Regional Administrator for U.S. EPA Region 1, said of the location. “When I walked along the shoreline and saw the reef balls and the re-planting of the grasses, as well as areas for planned future work, I said ‘this is what it is all about.’ This is where putting in a little bit of money, and leveraging that money, and matching that money, and having vision and tenacity, and the ability to innovate, really hits the ground and makes a difference.”

The grants announced on Thursday will fund 18 projects in Connecticut. The University of Connecticut was awarded one of the largest grants, receiving $368,360 in federal and matching dollars to plan, design, and implement five “green infrastructure” projects in the southern central region of the state.

The Long Island Sound Futures fund aims to create a healthier Long Island Sound by improving water quality, optimizing habitat for native animal species, and educating the communities in the Sound on how they can work together to protect it for future generations. To meet these goals, the grants are awarded in three categories; clean waters, habitat for wildlife, and community education in the protection and restoration of Long Island Sound.

“Long Island Sound is obviously Connecticut’s most treasured natural resource,” Robert Klee, Commissioner of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said. “It is my honor and pleasure to be here with friends, and colleagues, and activists who are on the cutting edge of protecting the Long Island Sound.”

The funding for these projects comes from the U.S. EPA and NFWF. Established by Congress in 1984, NFWF protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats utilizing funding from federal, corporate, and individual partners.

“One of the greatest environmental challenges facing our nation and its communities is the protection and restoration of highly productive estuaries,” Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director and CEO of NFWF, said. “This year, funded projects will help youth become stewards of the outdoors and introduce them to wildlife in their schoolyards. Additionally, work will help restore the health of our rivers, coastal marshes, forests and grasslands for the benefit of fish, wildlife, and enhance the strength of coastal communities.”

The projects funded in 2017 will reach more than 870,000 residents through environmental education programs, treat 439,000 gallons of stormwater runoff, and collect 2,800 pounds of floating trash from the Sound.

Learn more about the Long Island Sound Futures Fund.