DELAWARE RIVER WATERSHED — The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a 2023-year round of funding for Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund projects, with additional  funds provided by the William Penn Foundation and AstraZeneca. Thirty-six new or continuing conservation and restoration grants totaling $14.9 million were awarded. The 36 awards announced leveraged $20 million in match from the grantees, providing a total conservation impact of nearly $35 million. 

This year’s grant slate is the second year to include funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was enacted in November 2021 and includes a historic $26 million investment in the watershed over five years. 

Locally, the Town of Tusten received $75,000, with a $75,000 match, to create an open space and recreation plan, using New York State’s online inventories of species and habitats of concern. The project will develop GIS maps to update the inventory alongside a planning process which will engage the public, identify areas and tools for protection, and set forth an implementation framework including timelines, strategies and actions, responsible parties and resources.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission received a grant for $1 million, with a $1 million match, to provide grants to public entities, including townships, boroughs, municipal and county governments as well as nonprofit groups for the planning, acquisition, development, expansion and rehabilitation of boating facilities located in the Pennsylvania portion of the Delaware River Watershed to improve public fishing and recreation access. The project will ensure that boaters and anglers in the Delaware River watershed have safe, clean and updated boating facilities.

The Delaware River Basin Commission received a grant for $498,200, with a $500,000 match, to conduct three water quality studies to collect, assess and evaluate data in support of future monitoring and management efforts. The project will assess contaminants of emerging concern, complete estuary water quality modeling to understand the potential effects of anticipated climate change on fish habitat, and complete research, monitoring, and evaluation of a recreational use in support of safe and equitable recreation access.

The Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund supports projects that conserve and restore natural areas, corridors and waterways on public and private lands to support native migratory and resident wildlife and fish, as well as native plants; and to contribute to the social health and economic vitality of the communities in the Delaware River watershed. These grants address priorities in NFWF’s Delaware River Watershed Business Plan. 

The fund was launched in 2018 to bring together various stakeholders to deliver restoration and conservation efforts throughout the Delaware River Watershed to strategically improve fish and wildlife habitat, grow partner capacity, build networks and improve project efficiency and focus on a basin-wide scale.