Long Island Sound Futures Fund 2017 Grant Slate

NFWF CONTACTS Lynn Dwyer Program Director, Northeast, Coastal [email protected] 631-627-3488

Jessica Lillquist Coordinator, [email protected] 202-857-0166

FUNDING PARTNERS

Horseshoe crabs, Long Island Sound OVERVIEW The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the Long Island Sound Study and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, announced a 2017-year round of funding for Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) projects. Thirty-one new ABOUT NFWF grants totaling $2.04 million were awarded, generating $3.36 million in match from the The National Fish and Wildlife grantees for a total conservation impact of $5.4 million. Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores our nation’s fish and wild- life and their habitats. Created by and stretches across more than 110 miles, with 600 miles of coastline. Millions of people Congress in 1984, NFWF directs The Long Island Sound is home to hundreds of species of fish, birds and other animals, public conservation dollars to and stimulating the local economy. Despite improvements, Long Island Sound still the most pressing environmental visit the sound each year to swim, boat and enjoy its beauty, enriching their own lives needs and matches those invest- ments with private funds. amongstsuffers from the oxygen-depletedmost densely populated zones, beach in the closurescountry and haveother a effects strong of impact pollution, on water as Learn more at www.nfwf.org well as changes to its natural habitats. The coastal communities bordering the sound are

and habitat quality in the sound and its rivers and streams. aim to protect and restore the Long Island Sound. It unites federal and state agencies, NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS LISFF addresses such challenges by supporting projects in local communities that 1133 15th Street NW activities demonstrate a real, on-the-ground commitment to securing a healthy future for Suite 1000 thefoundations Long Island and Sound. corporations to achieve high-priority conservation objectives. Funded Washington, DC 20005 202-857-0166 (continued) Long Island Sound Futures Fund 2017 Grant Slate

Funding priorities for this program include: Treatment Plant, Massachusetts. The project will improve • Clean Waters and Healthy Watersheds: Improving in a reduction of nitrogen loading to the River whichprocess drains control into for Long nitrification Island Sound. and denitrification resulting nutrientwater quality loading by intodelivering the Long projects Island that Sound reduce combined • Thrivingsewer overflows, Habitats stormwater and Abundant runoff Wildlife: and nonpoint Restoring source Rain Gardens and Rain Barrels for Eastern Connecticut (CT) Grantee: Eastern Connecticut Conservation District coastal habitats to maintain resiliency and function, and Grant Amount:...... $84,996 • Educatingfoster diverse, to Engage balanced Sustainable and abundant and populations Resilient of fish, Matching Funds: ...... $95,365 Communities:birds and wildlife Increasing knowledge and engagement of Total Amount:...... $180,361 The Eastern Connecticut Conservation District will install Sound the public in the protection and restoration of Long Island Project WASTE an estimated 7,000 square feet of rain gardens and 100 rain (Waterway and Street Trash Elimination) (NY) Islandbarrels Sound. in Eastern Connecticut. The project will prevent Grantee: Bronx River Alliance up to 8,581 gallons of stormwater from flowing into Long Grant Amount:...... $34,712 Building Clean Water: Demonstrating Matching Funds: ...... $41,286 Sewage Treatment & Water Conservation Strategies (NY) Total Amount:...... $75,998 Grantee: Matinecock Court HDFC Bronx River Alliance will collect and analyze the sources of Grant Amount:...... $250,000 Matching Funds: ...... $1,750,000 Total Amount:...... $2,000,000 engagefloatable students trash on in the development Bronx River and sharing delivery those of outreachresults with The Matinecock Court HDFC will install a wastewater the public and public officials. The project will educate and and Westchester County, New York. The project will reduce the Town of Huntington, New York. The project will result in 2,000projects pounds to local of businessestrash entering to help Long reduce Island trash Sound in andthe Bronxin harvesting system at an affordable housing development in seven K-12 schools, on-site drip irrigation, and prevent nitrogen, total suspended of litter on waterways and the sound. the annual recapture of treated sewage effluent for reuse as educate 140 students about the impact the Long Island Sound watershed. Rapid Action Plans to Deliver Green solids and biochemical oxygen demand from discharge into Infrastructure in Coastal Connecticut Communities (CT) Planting for Clean Water Communities (NY) Grantee: University of Connecticut Grantee: Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District Grant Amount:...... $234,712 Grant Amount:...... $67,479 Matching Funds: ...... $134,148 Matching Funds: ...... $54,157 Total Amount:...... $368,860 Total Amount:...... $121,636 The University of Connecticut will plan, design and The Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District will assess priority areas, develop three green infrastructure in the South Central Region Basin, Connecticut. The project sites, and conduct educational workshops for residents implement five green infrastructure projects in communities pollution into Long Island Sound and provide examples of successfulwill provide green measurable infrastructure annual paving reductions the way in stormwater for future about the value of green infrastructuregreen to infrastructure improve water installations around the sound. projectsquality in to Long community Island Sound centers, in localthe Village parks, of schools Bayville, and New York. The project will bring visible Using Flow Meters to Remove Nitrogen other communities surrounding the sound. at the Amherst Wastewater Treatment Plant (MA) businesses creating a model for future projects in this and The Unified Water Study Equipment Loan Program: Grant Amount:...... $17,650 Collaboration in Embayment Monitoring (NY, CT) MatchingGrantee: Town Funds: of. Amherst. . . . .Department ...... of . Public . . . Works. . .$8,850 Grantee: Earthplace - The Nature Discovery Center Total Amount:...... $26,500 Grant Amount:...... $99,971 Matching Funds: ...... $118,153 Total Amount:...... $218,124 activatedThe Town sludge of Amherst at the Department Town of Amherst of Public Wastewater Works will install flow monitoring systems on effluent and return (continued) Earthplace - The Nature Discovery Center - Harbor Watch Long Island Sound Futures Fund 2017 Grant Slate

Fairfield County, Connecticut technical support as participants in the UWS in Connecticut and New York. The project will engage a coordinated effort will manage an equipment, supplies and technical resources loan program for up to 20 embayment groups and 200 citizen science volunteers to support the Unified Water Islandto collect Sound. data on the health of bays and harbors to provide Study for Long Island Sound embayments in Connecticut for synthesis about water quality issues affecting Long and New York. The project will result in a greater number Partnering for Pollution Prevention: Water quality theof monitored health of Longembayments Island Sound. providing important information monitoring of Impaired Waterways (CT) from the first areas affected by pollution sources that impact Grantee: Earthplace - The Nature Discovery Center Collaborative Watershed Grant Amount:...... $65,363 Planning for the Ten Mile River (CT, NY) Matching Funds: ...... $54,383 Total Amount:...... $119,746 Grant Amount:...... $64,358 MatchingGrantee: Housatonic Funds: . . .Valley . . . Association ...... $83,000 Total Amount:...... $147,358 waterEarthplace temperature, - The Nature dissolved Discovery oxygen, Center conductivity, - Harbor Watchfecal will monitor eight impaired waterways bi-weekly for management plan for the Ten Mile River in eastern Dutchess The Association will develop a watershed conditionscoliform and and bacteria work towards in Fairfield identifying County, sourcesConnecticut. of sewage The Once complete, the project will inform restoration and water pollutionproject will impacting provide anLong update Island to Sound. a dataset of water quality County, New York and western Litchfield County, Connecticut. Ten Mile River to the and Long Island Sound. Partnering for Pollution Prevention: quality activities focused on reducing nitrogen loads from the Water quality monitoring of Impaired Waterways (CT) Unified Water Study: Long Island Grantee: Watershed Council Sound Embayment Monitoring (CT, NY) Grant Amount:...... $65,284 Grantee: Connecticut Fund for the Environment Matching Funds: ...... $40,000 Grant Amount:...... $99,991 Total Amount:...... $105,284 Matching Funds: ...... $132,000 The Connecticut River Watershed Council will create a Total Amount:...... $231,991 watershed-scale monitoring strategy to add nutrient and Connecticut Fund for the Environment will implement the River watersheds of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and other water quality data in the Connecticut and Housatonic Unified Water Study (UWS), a water quality monitoring implement the Long Island Sound Nitrogen Reduction program, in two embayments, and engage five water quality Vermont. The project will add to the current effort to (continued) monitoring groups in nine embayments providing them with Long Island Sound Futures Fund 2017 Grant Slate

Strategy for the large river systems that drain to Long Island in Stonington, Connecticut, as well as restore coastal Sound. grassland and upland there. The project will incorporate planning for rising tides and storms to protect tidal Hempstead Harbor 2018 Water Quality Monitoring Program X (NY) intertidal shoreline. wetlands, coastal grassland, beach/dune habitat and rocky Grant Amount:...... $89,900 Planning for Fish Passage at MatchingGrantee: Incorporated Funds: . . . .Village . . . of. Sea. . Cliff,. . . New . . York. . . $67,592 the Starr Mill Pond Dam (CT) Total Amount:...... $157,492 Grantee: The Nature Conservancy - Connecticut Grant Amount:...... $85,482 Matching Funds: ...... $43,676 indicatorsThe Incorporated of pollution Village in outerof Sea and Cliff, inner New Hempstead York will conduct Total Amount:...... $129,158 water quality monitoring of physical, chemical and biological The Nature Conservancy - Connecticut will develop an

Harbor and Glen Cove Creek, Nassau County, New York. The and for restoration of the river corridor and upstream project will inform management of Hempstead Harbor, an impoundmentengineered plan in for Middleton, fish passage Connecticut. at the Starr The Mill project dam plan Promotingembayment Greenof Long Infrastructure Island Sound. goal is to improve connectivity, as well as restore freshwater through Monitoring & Evaluation of Bioswales (CT)

Grant Amount:...... $42,966 wetlands and riparian buffer, floodplain and aquatic habitat MatchingGrantee: New Funds: Haven. . .Urban . . . Resources. . . . . Initiative...... $66,685 Phillipsbenefitting Mill resident, Fish Passage and migratory Project species.(NY) Total Amount:...... $109,651 Grantee: Connecticut Fund for the Environment Grant Amount:...... $99,999 Matching Funds: ...... $110,000 The New Haven Urban Resources Initiative will monitor Total Amount:...... $209,999 asgreen conduct infrastructure a communications bioswales program to evaluate for theirresidents, capacity the to Connecticut Fund for the Environment (Save the Sound) will improve water quality and reduce stormwater runoff, as well green infrastructure Connecticut.business community The project and will the aidpublic in the about design the valueand installation of the develop an engineered plan for fish passage at Phillips Mill of green infrastructure to systemstheir neighborhoods in three New in Haven New Haven,river Pond Dam on the Nissequogue River, Town of Smithtown, New York. The project will plan for fish passage to restore years.native migratory fish runs from Long Island Sound to H.watersheds Smith Richardson and in urban Wildlife areas of the Long Island Sound. upstream spawning habitat in the for the first time in 300 Preserve Restoration Project (CT) Coastal Wetland and Forest Restoration Planning Project (NY) Grant Amount:...... $145,780 Grantee: City Parks Foundation MatchingGrantee: Connecticut Funds: . . . Audubon. . . . .Society ...... $134,047 Grant Amount:...... $99,976 Total Amount:...... $279,827 Matching Funds: ...... $87,349 Total Amount:...... $187,325 H. Smith Richardson Wildlife Preserve to a coastal forest The City Parks Foundation will produce restoration plans Connecticut Audubon Society will restore 33 acres of the for tidal wetland and coastal forest in Hammond Cove and Harding Park, Bronx, New York. The project will identify new openhabitat spaces in Westport, in southwest Connecticut. Connecticut The project along the will Long improve Island restoration and stewardship opportunities at small neglected Sound.conditions for birds and other wildlife at one of the largest salt marsh sites as well as at adjacent upland and connected

Resilience Management Planning and Restoration at Dodge Paddock/Beal Preserve (CT) Fromtributaries the Schoolyard throughout theto the western Sound: Long Engaging Island Sound. Grantee: University of Connecticut Communities through Schoolyard Habitats (CT) Grant Amount:...... $55,449 Matching Funds: ...... $34,478 Grant Amount:...... $44,999 Total Amount:...... $89,927 MatchingGrantee: National Funds: . Audubon. . . . . Society. . . . - .Audubon . . . . Connecticut. . . $60,645 The University of Connecticut will develop a resilience Total Amount:...... $105,644 management plan for Dodge Paddock/Beal Preserve (continued) National Audubon Society - Audubon Connecticut will create Long Island Sound Futures Fund 2017 Grant Slate

Oystercatcher including piping plover, least tern, common tern and and New Haven counties, Connecticut. The project will American oystercatcher. connecta network local of schoolyardresidents to habitats Long Island at 25 Sound schools and in empowerFairfield them to engage in its conservation. Audubon WildLife Guards: A Coastal Youth Conservation Program (CT) Be a Good Egg - II (NY) Grant Amount:...... $27,181 Grant Amount:...... $36,037 MatchingGrantee: National Funds: . Audubon. . . . . Society. . . . - .Audubon . . . . Connecticut. . . $27,067 MatchingGrantee: National Funds: . Audubon. . . . . Society. . . . - .Audubon . . . . New. . .York$36,435 Total Amount:...... $54,248 Total Amount:...... $72,472 employ high school students to work with local partners provide a multifaceted education program which includes National Audubon Society - Audubon Connecticut will National Audubon Society - Audubon New York will visitorsto steward, to Sandy monitor Point and Beach restore and habitat, Bird Sanctuary and increase in West public and private school programming, direct on-the- Haven,knowledge Connecticut. about protecting The project habitat will andcomplement wildlife among ongoing pledgesbeach public from outreach,people committing and deliver to coastal share the stewardship shore with projects on for birds. Additionally, the project will secure engage people in stewardship and increase knowledge efforts to restore and sustainably manage Sandy Point, shorebirds on the North Shore of Long Island, New York, (continued) and reduce threats to coastal habitats and shorebirds about Long Island Sound among visitors. Long Island Sound Futures Fund 2017 Grant Slate

Connections to Long Island Sound (CT) Island Sound Blue Plan in Connecticut and New York. The project will develop one of the foundational elements of a Grant Amount:...... $44,966 MatchingGrantee: Sea Funds: Research. . . .Foundation . . . . . -. Mystic. . . .Aquarium . . . . $34,904 Sound. Total Amount:...... $79,870 plan to protect important aquatic habitats of Long Island Storm Water Management Education for Residents (CT) curriculaThe Sea Research and interactive Foundation resources - Mystic to engageAquarium and will educate use Grant Amount:...... $10,000 interactive exhibits, portable estuarine-based tools, and MatchingGrantee: Neighborhood Funds: . . . . Housing. . . . .Services . . . . of . New. . .Haven . $10,000 Sound in the Mystic, Connecticut. The project will reach Total Amount:...... $20,000 approximatelyvisitors and students 750,000 about individuals issues affecting each year Long and Island promote environmental stewardship of Long Island Sound and its green infrastructure wastewater watersheds. Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven will provide education about Healthy Connecticut Towns Connecticut.management The systems project in low-incomewill seek to increaseneighborhoods residents’ that for a Healthy Long Island Sound (CT) are highly-impacted by water pollution in New Haven, Grantee: Northeast Organic the opportunities they have to decrease pollution into Long Farming Association of Connecticut Islandunderstanding Sound through of the impact simple, of low-cost water pollution solutions. and about Grant Amount:...... $36,932 Matching Funds: ...... $20,700 SOUNDoff Event! Creating Total Amount:...... $57,632 Long Island Sound Stewards - III (NY) The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Grantee: The Whaling Museum Society Grant Amount:...... $7,408 land care practices and principles to 100 landscapers in Matching Funds: ...... $4,000 Connecticut.Connecticut will The offer project training will have programs landscapers about commitorganic Total Amount:...... $11,408 to transitioning properties in their care to an organic program to foster reductions of nitrogen and pesticide runoff into Long Island Sound. The Whaling Museum Society will host a one-day public event SOUNDoff! to educate, inform and build awareness in Septic Change-Out Education Program (NY) wholocal willcommunities leave the eventabout withconservation a stronger of understanding Long Island Sound of Grantee: Citizens Campaign Fund for the Environment theirin an relationshipaccessible way. to theThe sound project and will with reach practical 300 visitors ways to Grant Amount:...... $45,000 Matching Funds: ...... $36,000 Total Amount:...... $81,000 Soundcontribute Spirit to aWeek cleaner (CT) sound. Citizens Campaign Fund for the Environment will deliver a comprehensive education project to educate homeowners Grant Amount:...... $9,978 MatchingGrantee: Sea Funds: Research. . . .Foundation . . . . . -. Mystic. . . .Aquarium . . . . .$8,053 system and to provide tools and information which will Total Amount:...... $18,031 allowabout themthe importance to more easily of upgrading apply for theirassistance onsite grants septic to fund these upgrades in the towns of Huntington, Smithtown and conduct Long Island Sound awareness and stewardship Riverhead, New York. The project will help homeowners The Sea Research Foundation - Mystic Aquarium will switch to new innovative alternative septic systems that roles in maintaining a healthy environment in Mystic, reduce nitrogen into Long Island Sound. events designed to foster understanding about personal the interrelated ecological and economic importance of Identifying Ecologically LongConnecticut. Island Sound. The project will raise public awareness about Significant Areas for the Blue Plan (CT, NY) Grantee: The Nature Conservancy - Connecticut Long Island Sound Summit and Video Project (CT) Grant Amount:...... $45,000 Grantee: Solar Youth Matching Funds: ...... $49,607 Grant Amount:...... $10,000 Total Amount:...... $94,607 Matching Funds: ...... $7,500 The Nature Conservancy - Connecticut will actively engage Total Amount:...... $17,500

Sound Summit that will include curriculum and lessons, scientists, technical experts and the interested public to Solar Youth will engage urban youth in a Long Island (continued) identify Ecologically Significant Areas (ESAs) for the Long Long Island Sound Futures Fund 2017 Grant Slate

Long Island Sound hands-on conservation activities, and the creation of a The project will provide homeowners with tools to reduce their impact on the Long Island Sound and to encourage practices to reduce pesticides and the nitrogen from Youth Voice Video where students will share what they fertilizers from entering into the Sound’s river, streams, youths’learned awareness,about Long knowledge,Island Sound skills with and the motivation public in New to protectHaven, Connecticut.and restore theThe Sound. project will increase urban Longtributaries Island and Sound embayments. Fresh Pond Festival (NY) Sound Gardening: Why Your Grass Choice Matters (NY) Grantee: Salonga Wetland Advocates Network Grantee: Citizens Campaign Fund for the Environment Grant Amount:...... $5,565 Grant Amount:...... $9,996 Matching Funds: ...... $6,125 Matching Funds: ...... $7,500 Total Amount:...... $11,690 Total Amount:...... $17,496 The Salonga Wetland Advocates Network will conduct a Citizens Campaign for the Environment will launch an festival and shoreline cleanup in Fort Salonga, New York. educational campaign aimed at homeowners to provide awareness of and commitment to the restoration and use on lawns in Nassau and Suffolk counties, New York. protectionThe event and of the hands-on environment cleanup of willLong increase Island Sound. public guidance about grass types and the correct grass seed to