Long Island Sound, one of the most densely populated estuaries in the United States, is getting a boost from the federal government. The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $1.5 million in grants to more than a dozen projects in Connecticut and New York focused on protecting Long Island Sound.
Daniel Hayden, president and CEO of Restore America’s Estuaries, said it's important to continue investing in coastal communities.
“If they're not actually healthy, they cannot deliver the economic benefits that we've come to assume that they'll deliver. And so it's really important that we continue to invest in them,” Hayden said.
Six of the projects are based in Connecticut. Representatives from the organizations gathered Tuesday at the Connecticut River Museum in Essex to celebrate the grants.
Elizabeth Kaeser is the executive director of the Connecticut River Museum, which received almost $100,000. The grant will help fund their winter wildlife cruises, which look for nesting eagles.
“Imagine being on a boat in February, when the river is filled with ice. This is when you can see eagles in droves,” Kaeser said. “They come from further north as the river freezes and they come here where the water is less icy so they can feed and also so they can nest and raise baby eagles.”
Another project, headed by the Collective Oyster Recycling & Restoration Foundation, seeks to recycle 350,000 pounds of oyster shells a year from restaurants and other seafood businesses. Those shells will then be returned to the water to grow more oysters.
A full list of the grantees and their projects can be found here.
Áine Pennello is a Report for America corps member who writes about the environment and climate change for Connecticut Public.
