More than $17M in National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funding to benefit Delaware River watershed projects

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a round of funding amounting to more than $17 million for 45 new or continuing conservation and restoration grants for Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund projects

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, and native plants and to contribute to the social health and economic vitality of the communities in the Delaware River watershed.

Additional funds were provided by the William Penn Foundation, AstraZeneca and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Delaware
Assessment and Design for Wetlands Enhancements on the Christina River Waterfront
Grantee: Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
Grant Amount: $169,600
Matching Funds: $170,000
Total Project Amount: $339,600
Investigate the feasibility of installing floating treatment wetlands and living-shoreline pockets to enhance fish and wildlife habitat in the urban Christina River.

Creating a Watershed Conservation Action Plan for the Mispillion River Watershed
Grantee: Delaware Nature Society
Grant Amount: $75,000
Matching Funds: $75,000
Total Project Amount: $150,000
Develop a conservation action plan identifying priority conservation projects in the Mispillion River watershed.

Improving Water Quality and Access to Nature at Rodney Reservoir Park
Grantee: City of Wilmington
Grant Amount: $500,000
Matching Funds: $2,000,000
Total Project Amount: $2,500,000
Implement green stormwater infrastructure to improve water quality, reduce flood risk and enhance community access to nature at Rodney Reservoir Park in Wilmington. The project will convert 1.5 acres of impervious surface into a series of rain gardens to capture and infiltrate stormwater, establish more than one acre of native wildflower meadow and significantly expand urban tree canopy.

Restoring Money Marsh at the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Grantee: Ducks Unlimited
Grant Amount: $100,000
Matching Funds: $100,000
Total Project Amount: $200,000
Implement a novel restoration approach to prevent marsh habitat loss at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Project will strategically anchor a series of natural woody materials across approximately 800 linear feet of the mudflats and former vegetated areas of Money Marsh to help regain marsh where feasible and curtail future loss of habitat.

Tidal Marsh Migration Research and Restoration at Bombay Hook and Prime Hook Refuges
Grantee: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Coastal Delaware NWR Complex
Grant Amount: $87,700
Matching Funds: $89,800
Total Project Amount: $177,500
Assess habitat-management actions to assist marsh migration efforts in Bombay Hook and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuges. Project will implement a variety of assisted tidal marsh migration practices, including removal of upland obstacles, movement of marsh plants and enhancement of upland topography and hydrology to determine effectiveness of management actions, informing future tidal marsh restoration efforts.

New Jersey
Assessing American Oystercatchers to Inform Management and Restoration Strategies
Grantee: Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey
Grant Amount: $250,000
Matching Funds: $250,000
Total Project Amount: $500,000
Research and monitor American oystercatcher breeding ecology and habitat use to inform future restoration and management strategies along the New Jersey side of the Delaware Bay.

Assessment and Design of Green Stormwater Infrastructure for the Mill Creek Watershed
Grantee: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Grant Amount: $187,200
Matching Funds: $187,200
Total Project Amount: $374,400
Identify and develop designs for nature-based stormwater management projects to reduce flooding and improve water quality in the Mill Creek watershed. Project will develop plans for several stormwater projects that are ready for design and permitting to address extreme weather events and reduce pollutants in the Delaware River.

Building Capacity for Community Stormwater
Management in the Rancocas Creek Watershed (NJ)
Grantee: Association of New Jersey Environmental
Commissioners
Grant Amount: $190,500
Matching Funds: $114,100
Total Project Amount: $304,600
Build capacity for construction of natural green stormwater infrastructure projects in underserved communities in the Rancocas Creek Watershed. Project will provide strategic resources and support to the existing nine environmental commissions in the watershed and establish up to seven additional environmental commissions to advance comprehensive watershed improvement and project implementation.

Building Capacity and Expanding Support for American Black Duck Habitat Restoration
Grantee: New Jersey Audubon Society
Grant Amount: $85,700
Matching Funds: $25,000
Total Project Amount: $110,700
Provide technical assistance to private landowners to deploy best management practices and improve habitat in priority focal regions for American black duck in New Jersey. Project will provide targeted outreach to 150 landowners in the form of wetland restoration technical assistance, grassland management recommendations and species-specific habitat restoration expertise.

Creating a Waterfront Schoolyard at Mastery High School
Grantee: The Trust for Public Land
Grant Amount: $800,000
Matching Funds: $800,000
Total Project Amount: $1,600,000
Implement the first phase of a 20-acre waterfront schoolyard park project on the Mastery High School of Camden’s campus, improving wildlife habitat, water quality, urban climate resiliency and outdoor recreation opportunities on the property. Project will engage more than 2,000 students and result in .7 acres of improved school property through tree plantings, the development of a water quality monitoring system and the construction of an educational outdoor courtyard.

Implementing Habitat Enhancement and Water Quality Improvements in Witten Park
Grantee: Lake Hopatcong Commission
Grant Amount: $353,000
Matching Funds: $354,400
Total Project Amount: $707,400
Restore floodplain, streams, and freshwater wetland and reduce erosion and sediment discharges into Lake Hopatcong through stormwater management improvements at Witten Park. Project will install a regenerative stormwater conveyance system to effectively treat stormwater runoff while providing ecological uplift for local aquatic and benthic communities.

Monitoring Shorebird and Horseshoe Crab Populations in Delaware Bay
Grantee: New Jersey Audubon Society
Grant Amount: $351,800
Matching Funds: $360,000
Total Project Amount: $711,800
Monitor shorebird and horseshoe crab populations to inform disturbance protection and recovery efforts in the Delaware Bay stopover. Project will support the maintenance of effective, established, volunteer-based population satellite tagging and monitoring programs in the region, providing data critical to recovery of red knots, other shorebird species and horseshoe crabs.

Planning and Design for Fish Passage Improvements at Mine Brook Gorge
Grantee: Musconetcong Watershed Association
Grant Amount: $117,600
Matching Funds: $117,700
Total Project Amount: $235,300
Complete designs and permitting for the removal of two barriers to fish passage in Mine Brook, a tributary to the Musconetcong River. Project will result in a shovel-ready project that restores aquatic connectivity and enhances the ecological function of important habitats for local fish and wildlife.

Providing Conservation Education Opportunities for Students in the Delaware River Basin
Grantee: The Watershed Institute
Grant Amount: $209,200
Matching Funds: $56,200
Total Project Amount: $265,400
Connect students to waterways and provide environmental education opportunities through the StreamWatch Schools water quality testing program at partnering schools in Trenton, New Jersey. Project will support integration of water quality testing into school curricula and green stormwater infrastructure implementation at 10 schools.

Rare Turtle Research and Monitoring in the Southern Delaware River Basin
Grantee: Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey
Grant Amount: $117,100
Matching Funds: $117,300
Total Project Amount: $234,400
Research and monitor spotted turtles and bog turtles through visual, trapping and telemetry survey methods in the southern Delaware River Basin. Project will compile updated population demographics and landscape data to inform future restoration and management activities for rare turtle populations.

Restoring Horseshoe Crab and Shorebird Habitat at Thompson’s Beach
Grantee: American Littoral Society
Grant Amount: $1,500,000
Matching Funds: $1,500,000
Total Project Amount: $3,000,000
Restore crucial beach habitat for horseshoe crabs, red knots and other shorebirds at Thompson’s Beach in the Delaware Bay. Project will place up to 45,000 cubic yards of sand to stabilize the shoreline and extend suitability for stopover migration and increase stewardship within the Bayshore Region through presentations and large-scale community engagement events.

New York
Connecting Rivers and Community: Brook Trout Restoration in the Upper Delaware River
Grantee: Trout Unlimited
Grant Amount: $779,300
Matching Funds: $780,800
Total Project Amount: $1,560,100
Support implementation of priority nature-based solutions for brook trout passage and habitat restoration in the East Branch Delaware River and Willowemoc Creek. Project will reconnect 9.5 miles of stream and complete designs for future restoration and reconnection projects, continuing momentum for native trout recovery in the watershed.

Stream Restoration and River Access Improvement in the Upper Delaware River Watershed
Grantee: Friends of the Upper Delaware River
Grant Amount: $584,800
Matching Funds: $385,000
Total Project Amount: $969,800
Improve aquatic habitat connectivity and create universally accessible river access in Delaware and Sullivan counties, New York. Project will reconnect 4.5 miles of stream, improve a river-access site with a ramp and invasive species treatment, and bring community members together to engage in river recreation and learn about the importance of the Upper Delaware River.

Pennsylvania
Aquatic Organism Passage Planning and Design in Sambo Creek
Grantee: Borough of East Stroudsburg
Grant Amount: $75,000
Matching Funds: $75,000
Total Project Amount: $150,000
Complete designs and permitting required for fish passage improvements along the Lower Dam in the Sambo Creek, Pennsylvania. Project will set the stage for improved water quality and increased aquatic habitat connectivity for brook trout and American eel.

Berks County Forest Landowner Support Pilot
Grantee: Berks County Conservation District
Grant Amount: $127,300
Matching Funds: $475,000
Total Project Amount: $602,300
Assist small-acreage and underserved forest landowners with enrollment in existing forestry programs to improve forest health and resiliency in the Kittatinny and Schuylkill Highland conservation landscapes. Project will empower landowners to engage with conservation programs through workshops and training opportunities, ultimately enhancing the water quality, habitat for birds including golden-winged warbler
and resiliency of the Berks County small-acreage forests.

Building Capacity in Southeast Pennsylvania for Installation of Native Meadows
Grantee: Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Grant Amount: $130,800
Matching Funds: $72,400
Total Project Amount: $203,200
Build capacity for the creation of native meadows to protect water quality and improve wildlife habitat for pollinators in southeast Pennsylvania. Project will train public and private facility and land managers on the installation and maintenance of pollinator meadows, create a portfolio of priority meadow conversion opportunities, prepare and implement a communication strategy for promoting meadow conversion projects and complete more than 20 acres of meadow conversion.

Building Capacity for a Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Action Plan
Grantee: Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership
Grant Amount: $97,600
Matching Funds: $39,500
Total Project Amount: $137,100
Engage local municipalities and stakeholders to expedite and increase the scale of restoration projects in the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed. Project will result in a Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Action Plan for projects and programming, which will clearly define services to improve water quality in the watershed.

Educating Youth and Providing Community Watershed Access in Southwest Philadelphia
Grantee: John Bartram Association
Grant Amount: $260,000
Matching Funds: $260,000
Total Project Amount: $520,000
Implement an educational youth development program to provide sustained water quality monitoring, offer educational recreation opportunities and drive community engagement with watershed health in the Tidal Schuylkill River. Project will hire up to 16 local high school students annually to serve as riverfront ambassadors for river recreation programs that welcome more than 2,500 residents annually, expanding recreational access to the river.

Enhancing and Evaluating Late Successional Forests for Priority Birds in the Poconos
Grantee: American Bird Conservancy
Grant Amount: $383,900
Matching Funds: $383,900
Total Project Amount: $767,800
Expand conservation planning, implementation and monitoring within the American Bird Conservancy’s Poconos Birdscape in the Delaware River Watershed to address threats to forest health and the habitat needs of golden-winged warbler, cerulean warbler and wood thrush. Project will draft one comprehensive plan for a new Dynamic Forest Restoration Block (DFRB), develop and implement a late-successional vegetation/habitat protocol and monitor baseline avian communities within three DFRBs.

Implementing Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Philadelphia Schoolyards
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy
Grant Amount: $1,069,400
Matching Funds: $2,046,100
Total Project Amount: $3,115,500
Create high-performing greenspaces that improve water quality and aquatic habitat through the implementation of green stormwater infrastructure at four elementary schools in Philadelphia. Project will treat 4.3 acres with stormwater Best Management Practices, manage 4.7 million gallons of stormwater, plant 264 trees, engage more than 2,000 people, and provide students and teachers with invaluable access to a living classroom.

Improving Habitat and Recreation Access in the Upper Mount Bethel Preserve
Grantee: Upper Mount Bethel Township
Grant Amount: $600,000
Matching Funds: $600,000
Total Project Amount: $1,200,000
Restore and enhance the Upper Mount Bethel Preserve to create a resilient ecosystem for wildlife and improve public access for recreationists. Project will result in several habitat and public access improvements on the preserve, including buffer plantings, the establishment of meadows, reforestation, aquatic habitat restoration and the creation of ADA-accessible trails.

Improving Trail Design and Expanding Public Access in the Delaware River Basin
Grantee: Appalachian Mountain Club
Grant Amount: $258,000
Matching Funds: $112,100
Total Project Amount: $370,100
Complete trail assessments and provide site-specific remediation strategies for trails in the Delaware River Watershed that are overused and subject to flooding and erosion. Project will include four trail assessments that assist park, trail, and land managers in ensuring that natural surface trails are sustainable and resilient, thus minimizing damage to nearby natural resources and expanding public access.

Planning for Comprehensive Restoration and Monitoring of the Cobbs Creek Watershed
Grantee: CCCEEC
Grant Amount: $296,900
Matching Funds: $337,300
Total Project Amount: $634,200
Conduct water-quality monitoring, habitat assessments and stakeholder workshops to develop a comprehensive vision for watershed revitalization in Cobbs Creek Park, Philadelphia.

Planning and Design for Restoration and Recreation in Cobbs Creek Park
Grantee: American Rivers
Grant Amount: $183,800
Matching Funds: $190,000
Total Project Amount: $373,800
Engage with local experts and youth leaders to develop a Philadelphia Action Plan for Cobbs Creek that will conceptualize multi-benefit river restoration projects and programming. Project will result in six to 10 implementation-ready projects that will improve river and riparian greenspace access for residents of West Philadelphia neighborhoods.

Restoring Brook Trout Habitat along Silk Mill Run
Grantee: Borough of Jim Thorpe
Grant Amount: $165,000
Matching Funds: $200,000
Total Project Amount: $365,000
Restore fish passage and riparian habitat in Silk Mill Run, a direct tributary to the Delaware River. Project will reconnect 1.5 miles of stream, restore 1.5 acres of floodplain and plant 40 trees to enhance habitat for brook trout and pollinators.

Restoring Dynamic Forest Structure for Priority Birds in the Delaware River Watershed
Grantee: American Bird Conservancy
Grant Amount: $1,000,000
Matching Funds: $1,500,000
Total Project Amount: $2,500,000
Address threats to forest health and the breeding season habitat needs of the golden-winged warbler, cerulean warbler, and wood thrush across eight Dynamic Forest Restoration Blocks and nearby private lands within the Poconos-Kittatinny region of Pennsylvania. Project will implement forest management practices across 3,511 acres to increase forest age class diversity and improve within-stand structural
complexity.

Restoring Habitat and Increasing Equitable Access to Nature at FDR Park
Grantee: Fairmount Park Conservancy
Grant Amount: $1,500,000
Matching Funds: $1,500,000
Total Project Amount: $3,000,000
Expand habitat and wildlife diversity and create new public access areas at FDR Park in Philadelphia. Project will create 800 linear feet of new stream channel, establish seven acres of pollinator habitat and more than 15 acres of reforested upland and lowland forest, and construct 2,200 linear feet of nature trail, 2,200 linear feet of excursion trail, two pedestrian bridges and educational signage for visitors.

Stream Restoration in the Lehigh Valley
Grantee: Wildlands Conservancy
Grant Amount: $163,500
Matching Funds: $168,500
Total Project Amount: $332,000
Restore and enhance stream habitats through streambank stabilization, instream habitat structure installation and native riparian tree plantings at three locations in the Lehigh Valley. Project will establish 1.5 acres of native riparian habitat for wildlife, restore more than 2,000 feet of streambank and floodplain, reduce more than 30,000 pounds per year of sediment pollution, remove one barrier to fish passage and engage at least 25 community volunteers.

Stream Restoration and Wetland Creation in Parrish Park
Grantee: Brandywine Red Clay Alliance
Grant Amount: $281,700
Matching Funds: $402,700
Total Project Amount: $684,400
Restore and enhance an impacted stream with grading, native plantings and in-stream structures to improve aquatic habitat and recreation opportunities along Red Clay Creek. Project will restore 2,650 feet of stream, create 1.2 acres of new wetlands, reconnect five acres of floodplain, plant 6.8 acres of new riparian buffer and engage the local community through educational activities and tree plantings.

Stroud Preserve Recreation Access and Floodplain Restoration
Grantee: Natural Lands Trust
Grant Amount: $830,400
Matching Funds: $1,691,600
Total Project Amount: $2,522,000
Restore eroded streambanks and replace a degraded bridge and informal boat launch at the Stroud Preserve in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Project will maintain and improve access to the 571-acre preserve and improve water quality for the East Branch Brandywine Creek by adding native plants to the floodplain and reducing erosion and runoff at the current boat launch and bridge site.

Multiple states
Assessing the Impacts of Invasive Mud Snails on Trout and Shad Populations (NJ, PA)
Grantee: Stroud Water Research Center
Grant Amount: $397,500
Matching Funds: $397,500
Total Project Amount: $795,000
Monitor and study the invasive New Zealand mud snail’s survival under different habitat conditions to characterize the mud snail’s disruption of trout diet and population growth in the Delaware River Basin. Project will determine mud snail survival and growth under different water temperatures and calcium concentrations at 15 sites in the basin, quantifying the risk level and potential consequences of the mud snails for native aquatic species and cold-water fisheries.

Building Capacity for Coldwater Habitat Conservation in the Delaware River Watershed (NJ, NY, PA)
Grantee: Wildlife Management Institute
Grant Amount: $499,100
Matching Funds: $202,100
Total Project Amount: $701,200
Build capacity for cold-water habitat conservation and brook trout population recovery across New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Project will hire a landscape coordinator to facilitate project planning and a project manager to supervise on-the-ground conservation endeavors, ultimately streamlining implementation, enhancing stakeholder coordination, and bolstering habitat resilience and biodiversity in the watershed.

Building Capacity for Dam Removals in the Delaware
River – II (DE, NJ, NY, PA)
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy
Grant Amount: $94,100
Matching Funds: $31,900
Total Project Amount: $126,000
Provide dam removal expertise by offering on-demand coaching, municipal and county government outreach, informational webinars and in-person training to stakeholders in the Delaware River Basin. Project will strengthen and expand the network of dam removal practitioners and accelerate the pace of dam removals across the basin, ultimately improving wildlife habitats and water quality and enhancing recreational opportunities.

Developing a Climate Assessment for the Brandywine-Christina Watershed (DE, PA)
Grantee: Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art
Grant Amount: $60,000
Matching Funds: $45,000
Total Project Amount: $105,000
Develop a climate assessment framework to quantify the climate benefits of the water-quality work conducted in the Brandywine-Christina Cluster of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative. Project will establish a baseline of the climate impacts of the watershed and define average carbon storage and sequestration metrics for different land cover, agricultural best management practices and green infrastructure projects within the watershed.

Establishing a Freshwater Mussel Growing Network in the Delaware Estuary (DE, NJ, PA)
Grantee: Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
Grant Amount: $150,100
Matching Funds: $150,800
Total Project Amount: $300,900
Establish a freshwater mussel growing network to support the reintroduction, range expansion and population enhancement for native species of freshwater mussels in the Delaware Estuary. Project will create a network of mussel rearing sites with volunteer support for mussel grow-out at several locations in the estuary.

Evaluating Headwater Habitat Conditions to Inform Conservation in the Delaware Basin (NY, PA)
Grantee: Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
Grant Amount: $360,000
Matching Funds: $365,800
Total Project Amount: $725,800
Assess the impact of temperature fluctuations on macroinvertebrate genetic biodiversity and ecosystem function of headwater streams in the Delaware River. Project will develop a watershed geospatial model to predict headwater stream resilience in response to temperature changes, detect the presence or absence of at-risk species using eDNA analysis, and enhance collaboration with community partners and
scientists to improve conservation practices.

Identifying Saltmarsh Sparrow and Black Rail Breeding Areas for Restoration (DE, NJ)
Grantee: New Jersey Audubon Society
Grant Amount: $485,900
Matching Funds: $500,000
Total Project Amount: $985,900
Utilize a habitat classification and species suitability model for future restoration and acquisition of critical saltmarsh sparrow and black rail habitat in Delaware Bay. Project will define target areas for restoration and work with partners to develop shovel-ready projects.

Improving Priority Bird Habitat through Collaborative Forest Management (NY, PA)
Grantee: National Audubon Society
Grant Amount: $274,300
Matching Funds: $274,900
Total Project Amount: $549,200
Connect endorsed foresters with private landowners to deliver bird-friendly forest management plans and implementation projects in the Delaware River Watershed. Project will create 800 acres of improved habitat for focal birds, including wood thrush, cerulean and golden-winged warblers, as well as an additional 5,000 shovel-ready acres with management plans completed and ready for implementation.

Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms in the Delaware River
Watershed (NJ, PA)
Grantee: Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space
Grant Amount: $488,400
Matching Funds: $513,700
Total Project Amount: $1,002,100
Monitor harmful algal blooms using remote sensing, multi-spectral drones and on-the-water methods to inform habitat management decisions. Project will develop an algorithm for forecasting harmful algal bloom (HAB) development under diverse seasonal and hydrological conditions, allowing for control or prevention of the development of HABs and the subsequent preservation and restoration of habitats and aquatic resources within the Delaware River Watershed.

Sacred Grounds Program: Installing Pollinator Gardens and Engaging Communities of Faith (DE, PA)
Grantee: National Wildlife Federation
Grant Amount: $671,700
Matching Funds: $671,700
Total Project Amount: $1,343,400
Expand native pollinator habitat for priority species, including native bumblebees and monarch butterflies, through partnerships with faith-based organizations and historic cemeteries in New Castle County, Delaware, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Project will expand urban wildlife habitat, plant approximately 6,000 native plant plugs, and build community capacity to steward native wildlife habitat in urban areas.