$1.3 million in grants for Long Island Sound projects announced

Local governments and organizations in New York and Connecticut will receive $1.3 million as part of 22 recently announced grants to restore and protect the Long Island Sound, with funding from three federal organizations.

The grants were awarded through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund, which is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Since 2005, the Futures Fund has provided millions of dollars for hundreds of projects to protect and preserve this critical ecosystem, restoring valuable habitats, treating and cleaning polluted waters, and engaging and educating new generations of advocates and caretakers,” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said. “These projects will help ensure that we can continue to enjoy the Sound’s unparalleled beauty and benefit from (the) vital role it plays in supporting our state and region’s economy for centuries to come.”

The projects that will benefit from the grants will restore 180 acres of habitats and open 7 miles of river to native fish.

“The grants announced today represent active efforts to protect and restore the Sound, and therefore the community and economy,” EPA New England Regional Administrator H. Curtis Spalding said. “In addition, the grants solidify the continued involvement of all the community groups and local governments that are so crucial to the state and federal governments' efforts here.”