NORTH KINGSTOWN – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the nonprofit Restore America’s Estuaries have made $2.3 million in competitive grants available to restore clean water, watershed and resilient shorelines, RAE announced Tuesday.
The funding, from the 2019 Southeast New England Program Watershed Grants, is open to municipalities, state agencies, tribes, public commissions, nonprofit organizations and academic institutions.
Grants generally range from $100,000 to $500,000. Grantees will be required to provide a 25 percent match for the cost of a project with non-federal funds.
Projects should address one or more of the following priorities, RAE said:
- Reduce nutrients and nutrient impacts on coastal ecosystems
- Develop and implement innovative approaches and practices that provide multiple benefits for communities and ecosystems
- Establish and support sustainable partnerships
- Foster environmental equity and the restoration of urban landscapes
- Promote peer-to-peer learning pertaining to clean water, habitat and ecosystem restoration
- Foster adaptation to changing climate and environmental conditions
- Measure and assess the effectiveness of environmental programs and projects
- Build upon or implement existing watershed, water quality or other environmental plans
Pre-proposal applications are due by 5 p.m. on April 5.
RAE is hosting informational sessions in Providence, Taunton and East Falmouth, Mass., on March 19, 20 and 21, respectively. The organization is also hosting a webinar on the grant program on March 12 and 14.
Award winners will be announced in September.
More information, including the complete Requests For Proposals, may be found online.
RAE is a national alliance of 10 coastal conservation groups, including Save The Bay.
