The national oceanic and atmospheric administration is providing $309,045 in federal funding to the narragansett BAY national estuarine research reserve through the FY2024 and FY2025 national…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded $309,045 through the Office for Coastal Management (CFDA 11.473) program to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, which operates the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The cooperative agreement, effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028, supports habitat restoration planning and engineering services for coastal resilience and community safety initiatives in Rhode Island coastal counties.

Under this award, the awardee will develop comprehensive restoration designs for 94.4 acres of scrub-shrub swamp, estuarine emergent wetland, and marine/estuarine shoreline habitat. The design work will focus on enhancing ecosystem service functions including water quality improvement, stormwater runoff infiltration, storm surge buffering, and wildlife habitat provision. These restoration planning and design products are intended to advance NOAA's coastal resilience objectives by generating science-based solutions that protect coastal communities and preserve ecologically significant habitats within the Narragansett Bay estuary.

The national oceanic and atmospheric administration is providing $309,045 in federal funding to the narragansett BAY national estuarine research reserve through the FY2024 and FY2025 national estuarine research reserve habitat protection and restoration grant competition. This funding will increase the safety and productivity of coastal communities within coastal counties through habitat restoration planning, engineering and design projects, habitat restoration implementation projects, and land conservation projects. Specifically, the narragansett BAY national estuarine research reserve will use these funds to develop 100% restoration designs for 94.4 acres of scrub-shrub swamp, estuarine emergent wetland, and marine/estuarine shoreline. Project plans will enhance ecosystem service functions of the area, including improving water quality, infiltrating stormwater runoff, acting as a buffer against storm surge, and providing habitat for wildlife.