The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), along with numerous federal, state, and local agencies, companies, and organizations, recently announced funding for a variety of upcoming projects to restore fisheries, protect important habitat, and provide educational opportunities across the USA.
Bring Back the Natives Projects
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Bass Pro Shops, and the Brunswick Public Foundation announced the 2018 funding for Bring Back the Natives projects.
Twelve new native fish conservation and restoration grants totaling $590,000 were awarded, leveraging $2.07 million in match from the grantees and generating a total conservation impact of $2.66 million.
The Bring Back the Natives program invests in conservation activities that restore, protect and enhance native populations of sensitive or listed fish species across the United States, especially in areas on or adjacent to federal agency lands.
The program emphasizes coordination between private landowners and federal agencies, tribes, corporations and states to improve the ecosystem functions and health of watersheds.
Bring Back the Natives projects include:
Improving Habitat Connectivity and Quality for Cutthroat Trout in Meadow Creek (MT)
Removing Sawpauh Mill Dam to Restore Fish Passage in Oostanaula Creek and the Hiwassee River (TN)
Comprehensive Watershed Restoration and Stream Reconnection in the Clearwater and Grande Ronde Watersheds (ID, OR)
Restoring Stream Connectivity for Eastern Brook Trout in the Upper Rappahannock Watershed (VA)
Barrier Removal in the North Creek Basin to Restore Fish Passage (OR)
Restoring Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Habitat in the Upper Teton River (ID)
Instream Habitat Restoration in the East Verde River to Increase Resiliency of a Gila Trout Fishery (AZ)
Westslope Cutthroat and Bull Trout Habitat Restoration in the Blackfoot River Watershed (MT)
Habitat Restoration for the Amargosa River Pupfish in San Bernardino County (CA)
Eradication of Invasive Vinca to benefit Spikedace and Loachminnow in Aravaipa Canyon (AZ)
Reintroduction of Colorado River Cutthroat Trout to Road Beaver Creek (CO)
Assessment of Connectivity and Invasion Threat to Restore Greenback Cutthroat Trout in Colorado
Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund
For 2018, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) partnered in grants to support the restoration and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in six U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
The grants were awarded through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF), a partnership between NFWF and the EPA’s Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program (INSR Program) and Small Watershed Grants Program (SWG Program). Additional support is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Altria Group Restoring America’s Resources partnership and CSX.
Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Grants (fish restoration):
Restoring Stream Connectivity for Eastern Brook Trout in the Upper Rappahannock Waterhsed (VA)
Grantee: The Piedmont Environmental Council
Fish Passage Improvement and Culvert Replacement in the Upper Sinnemahoning Creek Watershed (PA)
Grantee: Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Stream Restoration and Brook Trout Habitat Improvement in the Cohocton River (NY)
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy
Stream and Habitat Restoration in Kings Branch Flat Creek Greenway Natural Area (MD)
Grantee: South River Federation
Expanding Green Infrastructure, Urban Stream and Tree Canopy Restoration in Hopewell (VA)
Grantee: Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Securing and Expanding Brook Trout Habitat in the Cacapon and Potomac South Branch (WV)
Grantee: Trout Unlimited
Reconnecting and Restoring Brook Trout Habitat at Public Road-Stream Crossings (VA)
Grantee: The Piedmont Environmental Council
Identifying and Designing Restoration in Tier II Eastern Brook Trout Patches (PA)
Grantee: Tioga County Conservation District of Pennsylvania
Unassessed Waters Initiative (PA) – IV
Grantee: Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Reconnecting Floodplains and Stream Restoration in the Upper Sassafras (MD)
Grantee: Shorerivers
Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF)
The Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) are focused on improving water quality and restoring habitat around the Long Island Sound watershed. This grant program combines funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).
LISFF Fish Restoration Grants:
Planning for Two Fish Passage Projects in Southeastern Connecticut (CT)
Grantee: Connecticut Fund for the Environment/Save the Sound
source: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation