The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has awarded USD 12 million (EUR 10.3 million) in grants to support the health of the Long Island Sound, with much of the funding supporting improvements to fish habitats, marine debris removal, and oyster recovery.
The grants will also leverage USD 8 million (EUR 6.9 million) in matching contributions from recipients of the funding, bringing the total investment to USD 20 million (EUR 17.2 million). The grants were awarded through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund, a project launched in 2005 in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to improve the health of the sound and conserve habitat.
“Estuaries and their surrounding lands and waters represent some of the most productive wildlife habitats and most economically important areas in the world,” NFWF Executive Director and CEO Jeff Trandahl said in a release. “The Long Island Sound is the second-largest estuary on the East Coast and one of North America’s most biologically diverse estuaries. Its watershed stretches 16,820 square miles across five states, with more than 16,000 miles of rivers feeding fresh water into the sound.”
Since 2005, the Futures Fund has awarded USD 68 million (EUR 58.3 million) in grants, with grantees providing another USD 87 million (EUR 74.6 million) in matching contributions. In total, the program boasts of restoring 862 acres of fish and wildlife habitat, treating 212 million gallons of stormwater pollution, and reduced nitrogen pollution by 130,000 pounds.
Projects selected for grants in 2025 will continue those efforts. According to NFWF, the awards will help:
- Prevent 618,934 gallons of stormwater pollution;
- Prevent 2,996 pounds of nitrogen pollution;
- Remove 161,250 pounds of marine debris;
- Restore 70 acres of coastal habitat; and
- Restore fish passages.
USD 1 million (EUR 857,703) will be used to launch an oyster restoration initiative in Manhasset Bay through community oyster gardening, floating upweller systems (FLUPSY), and post-release monitoring to maximize the number of oysters in the bay.
“This year’s Futures Fund projects will support water quality improvements, habitat restoration, and other critical efforts across the watershed that are vital to protecting Long Island Sound,” EPA New England Regional Administrator Mark Sanborn said in a release. “Long Island Sound is a national treasure, and this funding exemplifies EPA’s commitment to supporting the economic and recreational benefits the Sound offers to millions of people.”
