WASHINGTON, DC, July 22, 2015 -- Today, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced that 64 community-led wetland, coastal and stream restoration projects across the nation have been awarded more than $2.3 million in grants.
The grantees have also committed an additional $4.8 million in local project support, creating a total investment of more than $7 million in projects that will restore wildlife habitat and urban waters and will engage thousands of volunteers, students and local residents in community-based environmental stewardship projects.
These grants are awarded through the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program, which began in 1999 as a partnership among NFWF, National Association of Counties (NACo), Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Since its inception, the program has supported more than 750 projects with more than $8.5 million in federal funds, $7 million in private and corporate contributions and $60 million in matching funds at the local level.
Major funding for the 2015 Five Star and Urban Waters program is provided by the EPA, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FedEx, Southern Company, Bank of America, and PG &E.
The Five Star and Urban Waters 2015 winners were selected from a highly competitive pool of more than 280 applications. Consideration for funding is based upon the educational and training opportunities for youth and the community at large as well as the ecological and other cultural and economic benefits to the community (a full list of 2015 projects is available here).
These projects must also involve a high degree of partnership between local government agencies, elected officials, community groups, businesses, schools, and environmental organizations for improving local water quality and restoring important fish and wildlife habitats.
See also:
"USDA, NFWF partnership to support ongoing Gulf restoration from Deepwater Horizon oil spill"
"Southern Co., partners award $1.8M in urban water grants to 53 orgs nationwide"
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