The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $657,000 in federal funding to the ACE basin national estuarine research reserve through the FY2023 bipartisan infrastructure…

The national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) is providing $657,000 in federal funding to the ACE basin national estuarine research reserve through the FY2023 bipartisan infrastructure law national estuarine research reserve habitat restoration and conservation competition. This project will be fully supported through funding available under the inflation reduction act. This funding will increase climate resilience of coastal communities within coastal counties through habitat restoration planning, engineering and design projects, habitat restoration implementation projects, and land conservation projects. Specifically, the ACE basin national estuarine research reserve will use these funds to support the acquisition of 8.6 acres of rare hummock and coastal habitat on south fenwick island, within the ashepoo-combahee-edisto basin (ACE basin) national estuarine research reserve. This project will add acreage to an already valuable conservation land holding and will fill an existing GAP in conserved land on the island, helping to create a seamless array of protected habitat that also enables the south carolina department of natural resources to better manage its wildlife, cultural resources, and marsh migration corridors.