Grants announced to protect, restore Long Island Sound
Dec. 4—Federal grants announced Monday to protect Long Island Sound will benefit the restoration of Alewife Cove, the development of an educational display about plastic pollution, a study of flooding at Five Corners in the City of Groton, a project focused on permeable pavement in Groton, and the education of local students.
A total of $12 million from the Long Island Sound Futures Fund program, along with $8 million in matching funds, will benefit 39 projects in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.
Mark Tedesco, the director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Long Island Sound Office, said during the webinar announcement on Monday that the projects, which incorporate climate resiliency and environmental justice, represent diverse approaches to improve the Sound and communities.
An approximately $399,900 federal grant was announced for the development of a restoration plan for Alewife Cove. Joe Lanzafame, New London's public utilities director, said the goal is to improve the environmental standing of the cove. New London, Waterford, and the Alewife Cove Conservancy are expected to contribute a total of about $126,700 in matching funds.
Edward Lamoureux, the founder and co-chair of the Alewife Cove Conservancy who grew up in, on and around Alewife Cove, was elated by the news. He said the natural border between New London and Waterford is used for fishing, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, science, education and art, and is an estuary where alewife fish return for their natural spawning grounds.
The Town of Groton received two grants. Megan Granato, the town's sustainability and resilience manager, said it's exciting to see the investment in Groton and southeastern Connecticut.
A $190,000 grant will benefit a project to identify the best sites for permeable pavement, which can help reduce runoff and flood risk and improve water quality, and to work on designs for three priority projects, Granato said. That information then will be shared with others in the region.
Granato said the town plans to contribute $56,000 in staff time. In addition, $52,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds will be used to purchase the equipment to maintain permeable pavement. The town will partner with the Center for Land Use Education and Research at the University of Connecticut and hire a consultant.
A $150,000 grant will benefit a partnership between the town and The Nature Conservancy to look at ways to improve a road-stream crossing at Haley Brook in terms of both fish passage and climate resilience, said Granato. A $51,300 match will be evenly split between the town and The Nature Conservancy staff time.
The Nature Conservancy was awarded a $361,100 grant, requested by the City of Groton, to fund a hydrologic assessment of the Five Corners neighborhood, a project identified as the first recommendation of the city's Community Resilience Plan, said Cierra Patrick, the city's economic development manager. The $236,600 in matching funds will come from cash donations from The Nature Conservancy and in-kind support from the city.
City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick said that during heavy rainstorms, the city gets flooding at the Five Corners area and down to Electric Boat, so the city wants a study of the source and potential solutions, such as rain gardens, bioswales, new stormwater drains, or other measures.
Mystic Aquarium will receive a $118,000 grant, which will require $151,200 in matching funds, to create "an educational display with Public Art for Racial Justice about the problem of plastic pollution," along with other outreach and education efforts to prevent marine debris, according to the Long Island Sound Futures Fund project document.
A $59,500 grant, plus $15,500 in matching funds, will benefit the Connecticut Invention Convention's educational program for 750 students in grades 5 through 9 to develop solutions to improve Long Island Sound in under-served communities, including Norwich, New London and Groton, the document states.
A $198,700 grant, which will require a $49,700 match, was awarded for the University of Connecticut to work with the community on plans to restore habitat at Bluff Point State Park in Groton and develop "citizen science and education" strategies, according to LISFF.
The grants include $214,600 for the Connecticut River Coastal Conservation District, which will require a $90,000 match, to make improvements to a livestock farm in Salem to prevent nitrogen and phosphorous runoff, and $1.3 million for the the Eastern Connecticut Conservation District, which will require a $1.06 million match, for the management of waste at Valley View Farm in North Stonington to reduce nitrogen in the Sound, according to LISFF.
Grants were awarded to the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County to locate lobster traps in New York and Connecticut and to the American Farmland Trust for soil health management plans for farms in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, according to a project list.
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the funding for Long Island Sound has grown over the years and pointed out that if investments aren't made now, projects will only become much more difficult and expensive in the future. He said one of "the big unsolved projects" is improving access to the Sound, which he called a crisis in Connecticut.
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, complimented the Long Island Sound Futures Fund's vision in recognizing not only the many coastal projects that need to be consistently funded, but also the importance of bringing in the agriculture sector as a partner.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation manages the Long Island Sound Futures Fund and collaborates with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Long Island Sound Study, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Long Island Sound Funders Collaborative, according to the foundation.
The Zoetis Foundation contributed additional funding.
