Funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is being awarded to seven Rhode Island organizations that will help promote cleaner water and healthier coastal ecosystems.

The awards, totaling $1.1 million for the Rhode Island groups, were announced by Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE), who partners with EPA to administer the program to advance the health of coastal ecosystems in southeastern New England.

The City of Newport was awarded $108,750 to implement an innovative approach to reducing urban stormwater by providing incentives to private property owners.

The funding is provided under EPA New England’s 2019 Southeast New England Program (SNEP) Watershed Grants. The grant program builds and supports partnerships that tackle the region’s most pressing environmental issues, such as nutrient pollution and coastal habitat loss. For 2019, RAE selected seven grant recipients in Rhode Island through a rigorous competitive process. The awardees include municipalities, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions.

In Rhode Island, the 2019 SNEP Watershed Grants are providing $1.1 million to seven local partnerships led by the following organizations:

  • Audubon Society of RI to create a regional center for stormwater innovation at Roger Williams Park in Providence ($177,534);
  • City of Cranston to restore clean water at Spectacle Pond, with benefits to Roger Williams Park and the Pawtuxet River system ($187,500);
  • Groundwork Rhode Island to install stormwater improvements in Providence and provide job training for urban youth ($198,891);
  • City of Newport to implement an innovative approach to reducing urban stormwater by providing incentives to private property owners ($108,750);
  • Northern RI Conservation District to establish a manure management program for small farmers in the Scituate Reservoir watershed, reducing pollution to Providence’s drinking water supply ($113,976);
  • Town of Warren to install innovative stormwater practices on waterfront streets to reduce pollution to Narragansett Bay ($25,000); and
  • Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council to install stormwater practices along the Woonasquatucket River Greenway, reducing pollution to the Providence River and Narragansett Bay ($245,000).

More information: EPA’s Southeast New England Coastal Watershed Restoration Program https://www.epa.gov/snecwrp