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Coalition For The Delaware River Watershed, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Announce $17 Million In Grants To Enhance The Health Of The Delaware River Watershed

On December 9, the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced 45 Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund awards, totaling over $17 million.

This funding, which includes supplemental funding from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is made possible through the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act and is administered by the NFWF in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service .

Grantees have committed nearly $20.7 million in matching funds, bringing the total conservation impact to $38 million.

These funds will support critical restoration and protection projects throughout the Delaware River Watershed, including habitat restoration, improved water quality, and expanded public access to outdoor recreation.

Of the 45 projects funded, 32 are led by members of the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed, collectively receiving $11.5 million and generating $12.7 million in matching funds, for a combined conservation impact of $24.2 million.

These projects include efforts such as creating a waterfront schoolyard, enhancing wildlife habitat, and increasing opportunities for community engagement and recreation.

Pennsylvania Projects

Pennsylvania would benefit from these project--

-- Borough of East Stroudsburg - Aquatic Organism Passage Planning and Design in Sambo Creek -$75,000: Complete designs and permitting required for fish passage improvements along the Lower Dam in the Sambo Creek, Pennsylvania. Project will set the stage for improved water quality and increased aquatic habitat connectivity for brook trout and American eel.

-- Berks County Conservation District - Berks County Forest Landowner Support Pilot - $127,300: Assist small-acreage and underserved forest landowners with enrollment in existing forestry programs to improve forest health and resiliency in the Kittatinny and Schuylkill Highland conservation landscapes. Project will empower landowners to engage with conservation programs through workshops and training opportunities, ultimately enhancing the water quality, habitat for birds including golden-winged warbler and resiliency of the Berks County small-acreage forests.

-- PA Environmental Council - Building Capacity in Southeast Pennsylvania for Installation of Native Meadows - $130,800: Build capacity for the creation of native meadows to protect water quality and improve wildlife habitat for pollinators in southeast Pennsylvania. Project will train public and private facility and land managers on the installation and maintenance of pollinator meadows, create a portfolio of priority meadow conversion opportunities, prepare and implement a communication strategy for promoting meadow conversion projects and complete more than 20 acres of meadow conversion.

-- Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership - Building Capacity for a Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Action Plan - $97,600: Engage local municipalities and stakeholders to expedite and increase the scale of restoration projects in the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed. Project will result in a Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Action Plan for projects and programming, which will clearly define services to improve water quality in the watershed.

-- John Bartram Association - Educating Youth and Providing Community Watershed Access in Southwest Philadelphia - $383,900: Implement an educational youth development program to provide sustained water quality monitoring, offer educational recreation opportunities and drive community engagement with watershed health in the Tidal Schuylkill River. Project will hire up to 16 local high school students annually to serve as riverfront ambassadors for river recreation programs that welcome more than 2,500 residents annually, expanding recreational access to the river.

-- American Bird Conservancy - Enhancing and Evaluating Late Successional Forests for Priority Birds in the Poconos - $382,900: Expand conservation planning, implementation and monitoring within the American Bird Conservancy’s Poconos Birdscape in the Delaware River Watershed to address threats to forest health and the habitat needs of goldenwinged warbler, cerulean warbler and wood thrush. Project will draft one comprehensive plan for a new Dynamic Forest Restoration Block (DFRB), develop and implement a late-successional vegetation/habitat protocol and monitor baseline avian communities within three DFRBs.

-- The Nature Conservancy - Implementing Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Philadelphia Schoolyards - $1,069,400: Create high-performing greenspaces that improve water quality and aquatic habitat through the implementation of green stormwater infrastructure at four elementary schools in Philadelphia. Project will treat 4.3 acres with stormwater Best Management Practices, manage 4.7 million gallons of stormwater, plant 264 trees, engage more than 2,000 people, and provide students and teachers with invaluable access to a living classroom.

-- Upper Mount Bethel Township - Improving Habitat and Recreation Access in the Upper Mount Bethel Preserve - $600,000: Restore and enhance the Upper Mount Bethel Preserve to create a resilient ecosystem for wildlife and improve public access for recreationists. Project will result in several habitat and public access improvements on the preserve, including buffer plantings, the establishment of meadows, reforestation, aquatic habitat restoration and the creation of ADA-accessible trails.

-- Appalachian Mountain Club - Improving Trail Design and Expanding Public Access in the Delaware River Basin -- $258,000: Complete trail assessments and provide site-specific remediation strategies for trails in the Delaware River Watershed that are overused and subject to flooding and erosion. Project will include four trail assessments that assist park, trail, and land managers in ensuring that natural surface trails are sustainable and resilient, thus minimizing damage to nearby natural resources and expanding public access.

-- Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Education Center - Planning for Comprehensive Restoration and Monitoring of the Cobbs Creek Watershed - $296,900: Conduct water-quality monitoring, habitat assessments and stakeholder workshops to develop a comprehensive vision for watershed revitalization in Cobbs Creek Park, Philadelphia. Project will develop a holistic framework for watershed restoration in alignment with broader regional-planning efforts to address environmental challenges in the park and create a resilient watershed.

-- American Rivers - Planning and Design for Restoration and Recreation in Cobbs Creek Park - $183,800: Engage with local experts and youth leaders to develop a Philadelphia Action Plan for Cobbs Creek that will conceptualize multi-benefit river restoration projects and programming. Project will result in six to 10 implementation ready projects that will improve river and riparian greenspace access for residents of West Philadelphia neighborhoods.

-- Borough of Jim Thorpe - Restoring Brook Trout Habitat along Silk Mill Run - $165,000: Restore fish passage and riparian habitat in Silk Mill Run, a direct tributary to the Delaware River. Project will reconnect 1.5 miles of stream, restore 1.5 acres of floodplain and plant 40 trees to enhance habitat for brook trout and pollinators.

-- American Bird Conservancy - Restoring Dynamic Forest Structure for Priority Birds in the Delaware River Watershed - $1,000,000: Address threats to forest health and the breeding season habitat needs of the golden-winged warbler, cerulean warbler, and wood thrush across eight Dynamic Forest Restoration Blocks and nearby private lands within the PoconosKittatinny region of Pennsylvania. Project will implement forest management practices across 3,511 acres to increase forest age class diversity and improve within-stand structural complexity

-- Fairmount Park Conservancy - Restoring Habitat and Increasing Equitable Access to Nature at FDR Park - $1,500,000: Expand habitat and wildlife diversity and create new public access areas at FDR Park in Philadelphia. Project will create 800 linear feet of new stream channel, establish 7 acres of pollinator habitat and more than 15 acres of reforested upland and lowland forest, and construct 2,200 linear feet of nature trail, 2,200 linear feet of excursion trail, two pedestrian bridges and educational signage for visitors.

-- Wildlands Conservancy - Stream Restoration in the Lehigh Valley - $163,500: Restore and enhance stream habitats through streambank stabilization, instream habitat structure installation and native riparian tree plantings at three locations in the Lehigh Valley. Project will establish 1.5 acres of native riparian habitat for wildlife, restore more than 2,000 feet of streambank and floodplain, reduce more than 30,000 pounds per year of sediment pollution, remove one barrier to fish passage and engage at least 25 community volunteers.

-- Brandywine Red Clay Alliance - Stream Restoration and Wetland Creation in Parrish Park - $281,700: Restore and enhance an impacted stream with grading, native plantings and in-stream structures to improve aquatic habitat and recreation opportunities along Red Clay Creek. Project will restore 2,650 feet of stream, create 1.2 acres of new wetlands, reconnect five acres of floodplain, plant 6.8 acres of new riparian buffer and engage the local community through educational activities and tree plantings.

-- Natural Lands Trust - Stroud Preserve Recreation Access and Floodplain Restoration - $830,400: Restore eroded streambanks and replace a degraded bridge and informal boat launch at the Stroud Preserve in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Project will maintain and improve access to the 571-acre preserve and improve water quality for the East Branch Brandywine Creek by adding native plants to the floodplain and reducing erosion and runoff at the current boat launch and bridge site.

Multiple State Grants With PA

Pennsylvania will benefit from these multi-state projects--

-- Stroud Water Research Center - Assessing the Impacts of Invasive Mud Snails on Trout and Shad Populations (NJ, PA) - $397,500

-- Wildlife Management Institute - Building Capacity for Coldwater Habitat Conservation in the Delaware River Watershed (NJ, NY, PA) -$499,100

-- The Nature Conservancy - Building Capacity for Dam Removals in the Delaware River - II (DE, NJ, NY, PA) - $94,100

-- Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art - Developing a Climate Assessment for the BrandywineChristina Watershed (DE, PA) - $60,000

-- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary - Establishing a Freshwater Mussel Growing Network in the Delaware Estuary (DE, NJ, PA) - $150,100

-- Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University - Evaluating Headwater Habitat Conditions to Inform Conservation in the Delaware Basin (NY, PA) - $360,000

-- National Audubon Society - Improving Priority Bird Habitat through Collaborative Forest Management (NY, PA) - $274,300

-- Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space - Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms in the Delaware River Watershed (NJ, PA) - $488,400

-- National Wildlife Federation - Sacred Grounds Program: Installing Pollinator Gardens and Engaging Communities of Faith (DE, PA) - $671,700

Click Here for the entire list of projects funded.

Honoring US Sen. Tom Carper

This event also served as an opportunity to thank US Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), who has announced his retirement, for his unwavering leadership on clean water issues and his instrumental role in advancing the health of the Delaware River Watershed.

Senator Carper introduced the original Delaware River Basin Conservation Act in 2016, establishing the foundation for the DWCF and its success in driving national attention and resources to the watershed.

“We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Senator Carper, who has been a tireless advocate for clean water and a champion of the Delaware River Watershed,” said Meagan Birkenmaier, Communications Manager, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed. “His leadership has been instrumental in raising awareness of the watershed’s importance and securing the resources needed for its protection and restoration. As we celebrate today’s achievements, we acknowledge that the work is far from over. It is essential for Congress to maintain its commitment to funding the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program (DRBRP), ensuring the DWCF continues to safeguard and enhance the watershed for future generations.”

The $17 million awarded this year represents the largest DWCF grant slate to date, underscoring the growing momentum and commitment to conservation within the watershed.

The Coalition is proud of the role its members play in leading these impactful projects and advancing shared goals of watershed-wide restoration, protection, and equity.

“We are thrilled to see such significant investment in the Delaware River Watershed,” said Grant LaRouche, Steering Committee Co-Chair, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed. “These projects, many of which are led by Coalition members, will bring tangible benefits to our communities and ecosystems. This commitment reflects the importance of continuing our work to ensure the watershed remains a vital resource for all.”

The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed is grateful for the partnerships that make this progress possible and will continue advocating for robust funding and policies that support the health and sustainability of the Delaware River Basin.

Visit the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation website for more information about multiple funding opportunities for conservation and restoration grants.

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-- DEP Awards $24 Million In Grants To Support County Clean Water Projects To Improve Water Quality In Chesapeake Bay Watershed [PaEN]

-- Coalition For The Delaware River Watershed, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Announce $17 Million In Grants To Enhance The Health Of The Delaware River Watershed [PaEN]

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