To provide funding and technical assistance to complete new york's emergency watershed protection program-floodplain easements, (ewpp - FPE) in mastic beach

The National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) awarded a Cooperative Agreement for $988,128 to the Town of Brookhaven on September 30, 2025, under the Emergency Watershed Protection Program - Disaster Relief Appropriations Act (CFDA 10.927). The award funds completion of New York's Emergency Watershed Protection Program-Floodplain Easements (EWPP-FPE) initiative in Mastic Beach through September 30, 2030. The program provides funding and technical assistance to implement emergency recovery measures that mitigate runoff and erosion hazards created by natural disasters, with a specific focus on acquiring floodplain easements to protect vulnerable coastal areas.

This cooperative agreement represents a partnership between NRCS and the Town of Brookhaven to establish protective land easements that reduce flood risk and property damage in the Mastic Beach area. The five-year implementation period aligns with the program's standard timeline for emergency watershed protection projects, allowing for comprehensive easement acquisition and associated erosion prevention activities. The award is part of a broader federal effort to address Hurricane Sandy-related damage in the region, with similar floodplain easement projects underway in Staten Island.