Small Grants Available for Watershed Projects

The Rivers Alliance of Connecticut in conjunction with CT DEP and US EPA will be awarding small grants to watershed groups for capacity building and/or for watershed projects. Seventy thousand dollars ($70,000) of Clean Water Act Section 319 funds are set aside for the purpose of strengthening watershed associations in Connecticut. Please call Rivers Alliance at (860) 693-1602 for more information.

Making the Most of the State DEP Open Space Matching Grant Program

The DEP Matching Grant Program offers municipalities, water companies and land trusts funds for open space land acquisition. Most municipalities are eligible for up to 50%, distressed and targeted municipalities and land trusts therein are eligible for up to 65% of the fair market value of the land. The program grants applications are due generally in the spring and the fall. The next round of applications is due November 15th. Workshop sessions are geared to both those planning on submitting a grant and those who already have and have questions and/or may be thinking of submitting again. Visit the DEP Matching Grants web site for more information. If you would like an application, please contact Linda Bowers at (860) 344-0716, x314.

A Resource for Wetland Restoration Projects

Editor's Note: The program described below can assist municipalities and organizations in restoring both inland wetlands and tidal wetlands. This relatively new program can assist your commission with expertise, manpower and funding depending on the need. Rivers Alliance is creating an inventory of eligible wetlands for the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership. For information on how to identify a possible restoration site in your town, please contact Rivers Alliance at (860) 693-1602 or visit their website at www.riversalliance.org.

The Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership (CWRP), working with the Coastal America multi-Federal agency partnership, was officially launched in May 2000. The objective of the CWRP is to pool private and public resources to effectively and efficiently stop and reverse the degradation of America's wetlands and other aquatic habitats. The CWRP is a voluntary public-private partnership in which corporations join forces with Federal and state agencies to restore wetlands and other aquatic habitats. Under the national leadership of The Gillette Company, 38 companies and 28 NGOs (including academia) have been recruited. More that $2.5 million in cash and in-kind services has been contributed for restoration projects around the country. In addition, the NGO partners have committed to help identify and prioritize projects, improve community buy-in and add volunteers to the process.

In Connecticut, the CWRP is championed by Duracell and Northeast Utilities. Two kick-off events were held in 2000; the first in June in Danbury and the second in October in Hartford. Additionally, the first CWRP project in Connecticut broke ground at the Ed Bills Pond in Lyme, CT. This project installed a fish ladder at the dam, thereby allowing upstream access to anadromous fish species such as American shad and blueback herring. The fish ladder will officially be opened at a ceremony in April 2001.

Other projects include dam repair, pond restoration; educational projects which relate wetland/river functions and value, and riparian/upland restoration. Many of these projects are described on the Coastal America website at coastalamerica.gov. When you visit the site go to the Corporate Wetland Restoration Partnership (CWRP) and click on PROJECTS. Review the ongoing or completed projects in the Northeast. Click on the project of your choice for a summary of the types of information that might be needed for an application.

Please contact the Rich Miller, Northeast Utilities, at (860) 665-5480 or visit the Coastal America website at coastalamerica.gov to find out more about the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership.

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