On December 17, the Department of Environmental Protection awarded $579,432 in grants to 12 projects aimed at protecting and restoring the Delaware Estuary Coastal Zone.

“Our coastal zones are vital environmental, economic, and community resources for the Commonwealth,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “Each year, the diverse Coastal Zone projects help us rethink, reexamine and rededicate our efforts towards a comprehensive approach to ensuring the sustainability of these habitats.”

Coastal zones are areas where land meets the coast and include both coastal waters and adjacent shorelands. These areas are challenged with increasing pressure from development, erosion, biodiversity loss and pollution.

Coastal Zone Grants are awarded to projects related to fisheries, wetlands, stormwater management improvements, recreation, public education, coastal hazards such as bluff recession, and other areas.

Grants may also be awarded to other projects in the watershed that have an impact on coastal waters.

The 112-mile Delaware Estuary coastal zone is located in Bucks, Delaware, and Philadelphia counties and encompasses islands, marshes, and other areas in the Delaware Estuary watershed. It is the largest freshwater port in the world.

Approved projects include:

-- Philadelphia

-- The Delaware River Basin Commission - $50,545 to conduct a research study to focus on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Delaware Estuary   

-- Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission – $50,000 to implement the Coastal Management Program in the Delaware Estuary Coastal Zone that includes Delaware, Philadelphia and Bucks counties

-- Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission – $50,000 to conduct outreach to municipalities in the Delaware Estuary Coastal Zone focused on climate resiliency and related hazard mitigation

-- John Bartram Association - $40,000 to support the Schuylkill River Youth Crew focusing on youth-directed leadership development

-- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Inc. – $55,000 to conduct River Fest 2021 events to educate the public about coastal recreation, historic sites, and public access

-- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary - $57,044 to establish a Water Quality Collaborative for the northern section of the Delaware Estuary Coastal Zone, including portions of Philadelphia and Bucks Counties

-- PA Cleanways dba Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful - $49,985 to conduct community cleanups and marine debris removal in the Delaware Estuary

-- Pennsylvania Environmental Council – $44,458 to support an in-depth audit of 4 suburban Philadelphia municipalities to identify codes & policies presenting the biggest barriers to Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) implementation 

-- Philadelphia Parks and Recreation - $75,000 to rehabilitate an abandoned industrial pier along Bartram's Mile into a usable fishing, wildlife viewing, and sightseeing pier

-- Schuylkill River Development Corporation - $7,400 to provide a hands-on environmental education and recreational program on the Schuylkill River

-- Bucks

-- Heritage Conservancy - $50,000 to prepare the design and engineering for the construction of a 1.2-mile Croydon Woods-Bristol Township Trail Segment

-- Delaware

-- Pennsylvania Environmental Council - $50,000 to develop final design documents for the Chester City East Coast Greenway trail connections on Highland Ave and Norris Street

Funded primarily by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the grants are administered by DEP’s Coastal Resources Management Program.

Since federal approval of the DEP Coastal Resources Management Program in 1980, the program has provided more than $50 million in funding for coastal zone projects.

Visit DEP's Coastal Resources Management webpage to learn more about this program.

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[Posted: December 17, 2020]  PA Environment Digest

12/21/2020