On March 14, The Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program (NEP) through the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, announced $182,897 in federally funded grant awards for projects that will preserve critical habitat, support fish migration, and improve tidal flow to salt marshes in the Buzzards Bay watershed. The funding was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Southeast New England Program. The four grants, which are being matched by nearly $90,000 in state, local, and private funds, are being awarded by the Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program (NEP) through the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Southeast New England Program.

The following municipalities were awarded grants:

• The Town of Fairhaven will receive $15,000 to purchase a conservation restriction on a 5.75-acre parcel of land to prevent future development, preserve natural resources, and provide passive recreational opportunities to the public. The property, consisting of coastal forest, wetlands, and a perennial stream, immediately connects to over 250 acres of existing conservation land as well as the regional multi-use Phoenix Bike Trail.
• The Town of Marion will receive $47,897 to work with its partner, the Buzzards Bay Coalition, to complete feasibility/conceptual designs to replace two undersized culverts on Delano Road in Marion. The culverts restrict water flow between the expansive wooded wetlands of the Great Swamp and adjacent coastal habitats of Buzzards Bay. The project will provide climate resilience benefits, such as preventing the upstream impoundment of water and resultant road flooding and allowing for salt marsh migration with rising sea levels.
• The Town of Wareham will receive $70,000 to work with its partner, the Buzzards Bay Coalition, to complete feasibility/conceptual designs to support the replacement of a tidally restrictive culvert on Indian Neck Road at the Crooked River. The project will also investigate the partial removal of a dike that restricts tidal exchange within the adjacent Jack’s Marsh. The replacement of these structures will support climate resilience goals by improving tidal exchange to 11 acres of marsh and facilitating future pathways for marsh migration to adjacent low-lying areas in the face of rising sea levels.
• The Town of Westport will receive $50,000 to work with its partner, the Buzzards Bay Coalition, to complete data collection and survey work to advance the replacement of three undersized and deteriorating culverts located on cold water streams. The culverts reduce aquatic connectivity, serve as barriers to native fish migration, and pose risks to public safety. Replacement of these culverts will provide access to critical habitat for migratory fish, including sea-run brook trout, as well as river herring and American eel.

We were pleased to see several culvert replacement projects funded in this grant round. Culvert replacements not only address flooding and coastal resilience issues, but they can enhance fish and wildlife migration and improve connections between wetland habitats.

For more information about the grant announcement, read this CZM Press release.

The Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program is seeking proposals for the Buzzards Bay Watershed Municipal Grant Program, with an anticipated $182,897 in funding available. This grant round is funded by the U.S. EPA Southeast New England Program. The maximum award for a single project is $70,000. Eligible projects must implement recommendations in the Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan and can include feasibility, assessment, design and construction of stormwater facilities to treat, eliminate, or reduce discharges to impaired surface waters; permanent land preservation; restoration of wetlands, habitat, migratory fish passage, and culvert replacements; construction of boat pump-out facilities; digitizing of wetland boundaries or land elevations; creation of online reporting systems for tracking of operation, maintenance, and monitoring of innovative and alternative septic systems; as well as projects that mitigate or restore coastal waters, or freshwaters, adversely affected by nutrient loading (nitrogen and phosphorus pollution) or bacteria pollution. A 33 percent match of requested funding is required, and only projects and municipalities within the Buzzards Bay watershed are eligible. For details and required forms, see the COMMBUYS website or our NEP Funding page. Proposals are due by January 23, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.

On November 1, at the New Bedford Buttonwood Park Zoo, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the award of $3.4 million in grant funding in Massachusetts for projects working toward clean water and healthy coastal ecosystems. Of this total, $1.5 million was funded through EPA’s Southeast New England Program (SNEP) Watershed Implementation Grants program. The Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program will receive $250,000 in SNEP funds to facilitate projects that implement the goals and objectives of the Buzzards Bay Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. Specifically, the NEP’s award will fund these three activities:

• a subaward of $25,900 to the New Bedford Public School Sea Lab Marine Science Program to pay summer school tuition of students in need of financial assistance, as well as field trips and supplies,
• a $49,000 subaward to UMass Dartmouth to continue a study using aerial drones to monitor salt marsh loss and vegetation changes in Buzzards Bay due to climate stressors, and
• a soon-to-be-announced fall municipal grant program for Buzzards Bay municipalities.

Additional details about the awards are available in this EPA press release.