About $12 million in new grants will power dozens of projects in the Long Island Sound watershed. That includes our region, as well as other parts of the Northeast where water flows down to the Sound.
Amanda Bassow with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation said work will help prevent stormwater runoff and nitrogen pollution.
“It’ll also remove almost 160,000 pounds of marine debris, plant almost 2,000 trees, and restore 70 acres of coastal habitat. So that is a lot of conservation impact,” Bassow said.
Long Island Sound is the second-largest estuary on the East Coast, supporting hundreds of species of fish, birds, and other animals.
Emma Cimino with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection highlighted an effort unique to the state — the removal of dams to help migrating fish reach their destinations.
“We have a huge number of dams — I think we have the highest number of dams per river mile in the country, or at least in New England. And so, resources to address challenges and improve the quality of those dams are really important to the residents of this state, and support our ecological goals.”
Other projects include enhancing habitat for nesting shorebirds, terrapins, and native pollinators, as well as launching new shellfish restoration efforts.
Funding comes from the Long Island Sound Partnership, established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the states of Connecticut and New York.
