Southeast New England Program for Coastal Watershed Restoration earns $5 Million from EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Monday that it will provide $5 million to promote the Southeast New England Program for Coastal Watershed Restoration through partnerships with state agencies and environmental organizations.

“Restoration of our wetlands and freshwater rivers and streams is critical to the health of our coastal ecosystem and the resiliency of the Bay,” U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), who has supported the watershed restoration through his senior position on the Appropriations Committee, said. “Our waters connect and sustain us and collaboration is key to protecting our watershed. Unfortunately, pollutants and storm runoff don’t stop at the border’s edge. That is why I spearheaded this program: to bring people together — across communities and state lines — to take a strategic, scientific-based approach to protecting and improving the health of the Bay and our entire coastal watershed.”

The funding will impact coastal waters throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including Narragansett Bay, Buzzards Bay, the Taunton River and Southern Cape Cod.

“EPA is grateful for the support by Rhode Island and Massachusetts leaders for this critical program to restore and protect water quality and habitat for southeast New England watersheds and coastal areas,” EPA Regional Administrator Curt Spalding said. “We are pleased at the variety and quantity of projects we can undertake this year to make progress on these issues.”