Fish and Wildlife: Restoring coastal wetlands and building coastal resiliency

As part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s efforts to conserve and restore coastal wetlands, the Service is awarding $10.8 million to support 12 projects in seven coastal states to protect, restore or enhance over 2,000 acres of coastal wetlands and adjacent upland habitats under the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program. Coastal wetlands are vitally important in protecting communities from floods, filtering the water, supporting recreation and local economies and providing habitat for fish and wildlife.

“Coastal wetlands are important natural infrastructure systems protecting communities from the effects of climate change by mitigating the devastating impacts of storms, invasive species and sea-level rise,” said Service Director, Martha Williams.

“The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grants fund projects that help recover coastal-dependent species, enhance flood protection and water quality, provide economic benefits and increase outdoor recreational opportunities for our coastal communities.”

States receiving funds this year are California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas and Washington.

Examples of the projects funded by the 2024 grant program include:

• Coastal Wetland Conservation and Shoreline Protection in East Galveston Bay,

• Newport River Partnership Phase III,

• Elwha River Floodplain Acquisition and Restoration.