NFWF Announces $17.3 Million in New Conservation Grants to Restore Delaware River Watershed 

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 29, 2024) –The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced 45 grant awards totaling more than $17.3 million, a significant increase from last year’s total of $14.9 million. This year’s grants will fund projects in four priority areas: restoring fish and wildlife habitat, reducing flooding impacting communities, improving water quality, and enhancing safe public recreational access. The grants will generate nearly $20.7 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $38 million. 

“The Delaware River, which flows through nearly 330 miles of the mid-Atlantic region, is both a source of drinking water for more than 15 million people and provides vital habitat for important wildlife species, including threatened red knots and vulnerable horseshoe crabs, forest birds rebounding from decline, and saltmarsh sparrow,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “The 45 projects announced today will help ensure a healthier, cleaner, and more resilient future for the Delaware River watershed and the communities and species that depend on it.”

These grants were awarded through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund (DWCF), funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with additional support this year from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, AstraZeneca, and the William Penn Foundation.

“President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is helping improve the lives of people and habitats for wildlife,” said Service Director Martha Williams. “Across Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, these investments convert blacktop into raingardens, reconnect rivers and streams and use nature-based approaches to address community needs, including responding to the impacts of climate change.”

Funding includes more than $4.7 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for six projects aimed at improving public access, recreational opportunities and water quality, as well as enhancing shoreline and critical habitat. 

“We’re committed to contributing to a sustainable future through the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. This is vital to build a healthy future for people and the planet. We’re pleased to be working with local partners and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation on nature restoration and to be playing our part in building harmony between society and the natural environment. Together, we can drive positive change,” said Joris Silon, U.S. Country President, BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit, AstraZeneca.

The awards announced today will improve more than 4,000 acres of forest habitat through improved management, restore over 8 acres of beach habitat, plant over 7,000 trees, and open more than 470 acres to public access. The projects will help advance the goals of the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act, NFWF’s Delaware Watershed Business Plan, and the Delaware River Watershed Initiative. 

“We are pleased to partner with NFWF and the US Fish and Wildlife Service on these strategic investments to increase the voluntary adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices on working lands,” said NRCS Chief Terry Cosby. “These efforts will strengthen the delivery of technical assistance to American landowners to improve forest health, restore wetland habitat, and improve water quality. This will benefit species such as the Golden Winged Warbler and American Black Duck, while sustaining economic opportunities for local communities.”

Grant awards include: 

• In Delaware, $169,000 to the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary to investigate the feasibility of installing floating treatment wetlands and living shoreline pockets to enhance fish and wildlife habitat in the urban Christina River, implementing an element of the recently completed Christina Brandywine Remediation Restoration and Resilience Initiative’s Plan for Restoring Wilmington’s Rivers.
• In New Jersey, $1.5 million to the American Littoral Society to restore crucial beach habitat for horseshoe crabs, red knots, and other shorebirds at Thompson’s Beach in the Delaware Bay.
• In New York, $779,000 to Trout Unlimited to reconnect 9.5 miles of stream and complete designs for future restoration, enhancing critical brook trout habitat in the Upper Delaware River.
• In Pennsylvania, $127,000 to Berks County Conservation District to assist forest landowners with enrollment into forest management cost-share programs, improving forest health, habitat for golden-winged warbler, and resiliency in the Kittatinny and Schuylkill Highland conservation landscapes.

The Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, created in 2018, is funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to achieve the goals of the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act. The Act guides and supports federal, state, regional, and local partners to collaboratively identify, prioritize, and implement habitat restoration and conservation activities within the watershed. 

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. Despite its position in a major metropolitan corridor, the watershed is home to a remarkable variety of species and their habitats — from mountainside cold water streams to tidal salt marshes — that are economically, ecologically, and culturally important to the region. 

Urban and suburban waterways play a major role in the watershed’s communities, with headwaters in neighboring rural and agricultural areas. Grant projects are implemented across this variety of landscapes, serving to improve wildlife habitat and human communities, accelerate implementation of best practices, provide opportunities for people to engage with nature, and ultimately benefit water quality locally and for those downstream.

A complete list of the 2024 grants made through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund projects receiving grants is available here. For more information about NFWF’s Delaware River efforts, please visit www.nfwf.org/delaware. To learn more about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, click here.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate, foundation and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 6,800 organizations and generated a total conservation impact of more than $10 billion. NFWF is an equal opportunity provider. Learn more at nfwf.org. 

About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information, visit www.fws.gov.

About the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service 
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides one-on-one, personalized advice on the best solutions to meet the unique conservation and business goals of those who grow our nation’s food and fiber. NRCS helps landowners make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the health of our air, water, and soil. NRCS also generates, manages, and shares the data, research and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science. In simpler terms, NRCS’s focus is “Helping People Help the Land.” For more information, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov.

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Contact:

Rob Blumenthal, 202-857-0166, rob.blumenthal@nfwf.org