NOAA allots $2M to two conservation programs

WASHINGTON – Two conservation programs that aim to protect Ocean State waterways and coastal habitats will receive more than $2 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, under federal appropriations announced yesterday by U.S. Sen. Jack Reed.
The Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve will get $555,000 for conservation, research and education about local ecosystems. The 4,400-acre preserve – part of a National Estuarine Research Reserve System that protects more than 1 million acres of estuaries and adjacent habitats – protects the Bay’s Prudence, Patience, Hope and Dyer islands.
The R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council will get $1.48 million from NOAA’s Coastal Zone Management Administration to support its coastal zone management, permitting, planning and enforcement activities; public outreach and education; and the designation of public rights of way.
“I am pleased to have helped secure this federal funding to preserve and restore the Ocean State’s waterways,” said Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee that provides funding for the NOAA. “I commend the staff of the Coastal Resources Management Council, the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the [R.I.] Department of Environmental Management for their commitment to conserving our coastal habitats for future generations of Rhode Islanders.”
To learn more about the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its programs, visit www.noaa.gov.