NFWF awards $2.2 million in grants to improve the health of the Delaware River watershed

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 27, 2018) – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced 13 grant awards totaling $2.2 million for water quality restoration and habitat conservation in targeted regions throughout the Delaware River watershed. Grantee organizations have committed $3.5 million in match, generating a total conservation impact of more than $5.7 million.

 

The grants announced today were awarded to projects in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. In total, the projects will improve 4,575 acres of forest habitat, treat polluted runoff using agricultural conservation practices on nearly 7,790 acres, prevent 11.25 million gallons of unfiltered stormwater from entering the watershed, and restore 3 miles of streamside forest in critical headwaters. Grant awards include:

• (NJ) $144,606 to The Nature Conservancy to restore degraded riparian buffers and stabilize eroding streambanks in the Upper Paulins Kill headwaters
• (NY) $86,471 to the National Audubon Society to improve habitat for wood thrush and cerulean warbler in the northeastern region of the upper Delaware watershed 
• (PA) $249,619 to Stroud Water Research Center to implement whole farm plans on at least eight farms, and conduct farmer-to-farmer trainings on soil and stream health 

A full list of 2018 projects receiving grants is available here.

 

The grants were awarded through the Delaware River Restoration Fund, which is administered by NFWF in cooperation with the Delaware River Watershed Initiative, a partnership between leading conservation organizations that protects and restores the Delaware River system. Major funding is provided by the William Penn Foundation through the initiative. This year, additional support was provided by the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and the American Forest Foundation. 

 

“The 13 projects receiving grants today will improve water quality across the Delaware River watershed, helping restore drinking water for more than 15 million residents in four states and conserve habitat for species including cerulean warbler, golden-winged warbler and wood thrush,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “These grants are also central to advancing the goals of both the Delaware River Watershed Initiative and NFWF’s Delaware Watershed Business Plan.” 

 

As part of the broader Delaware River Watershed Initiative, the William Penn Foundation provided $6 million in grant funding for Delaware River Restoration Fund in 2018 to continue to administer grants competitively in targeted regions throughout the Delaware River watershed for the next three years. Grantees continue to leverage the William Penn Foundation resources with matching contributions that result in impactful on-the-ground conservation and restoration.

 

The Delaware River watershed covers 13,539 square miles of land and water, running from the Catskills in New York through Pennsylvania and New Jersey, ultimately emptying into the Delaware Bay. Urban and suburban waterways play a major role in the watershed’s communities, with headwaters in neighboring rural areas. Grant projects take place in a variety of landscapes across the watershed and ultimately benefit water quality locally and for those downstream.