Provide assistance to the national fish and wildlife foundation to implement its project to support the long island sound comprehensive conservation and management plan to protect and restore long…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 awarded a $20.585 million Project Grant to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030, under the Geographic Programs – Long Island Sound Program (CFDA 66.437). The award funds NFWF to develop and administer a competitive subaward program—the Long Island Sound Futures Fund—that supports implementation of the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. Core services delivered include developing and disseminating the Futures Fund Request for Proposals through multiple venues; providing comprehensive technical assistance to applicants and subrecipients through one-to-one outreach, webinars, geographically focused guidance, and shared learning opportunities; developing and managing a competitive grant proposal evaluation process; administering subrecipient grant agreements from inception to closure; delivering virtual grant announcement events and educational communications about fund investments and impact; engaging federal and nonfederal partnerships; and maintaining an updated spatial decision tool that informs conservation investment priorities across the Long Island Sound watershed as part of the multi-year NFWF Northeast Watershed Business Plan.

NFWF distributed subawards totaling approximately $2 million to 24 subrecipients between December 2025 and March 2026, supporting on-the-ground conservation and restoration activities. Representative subrecipient projects include The Nature Conservancy's stormwater management design work in Groton, Connecticut; American Rivers' fish passage restoration design on the Fourmile and Branford Rivers; National Audubon Society's salt marsh restoration at Sunken Meadow State Park; the University of Connecticut's tern colony biosecurity protocols on Great Gull Island; the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk's lobster trap recovery initiative; and numerous environmental education, habitat restoration, and green infrastructure projects implemented by conservation organizations, municipalities, and educational institutions throughout the Long Island Sound region.

Description

The purpose of this agreement is to provide assistance to the national fish and wildlife foundation to implement its project to support the long island sound comprehensive conservation and management plan to protect and restore long island sound by: 1) develop the request for proposals and associated materials; 2) disseminate the request for proposals through multiple venues; 3) provide multiple forms of technical assistance to applicants and subrecipients including one-to-one outreach, webinars and shared learning opportunities, geographically focused technical assistance, and guidance materials.; 4) develop and manage grant proposal evaluation; 5) deliver a virtual grant announcement event; 6) deliver and support multiple forms of education about long island sound futures fund investments and impact; 7) engage federal and nonfederal partnerships; 8) administer subrecipient grant agreements and the recipient cooperative agreement from inception to closure; and 9) manage and update a spatial decision tool which informs priorities for conservation investment for the long island sound futures fund in the long island sound watershed and related geography as part of the multi-year national fish and wildlife foundation northeast watershed business plan.activities:specifically, under this cooperative agreement the recipient will: 1) develop futures fund request for proposal and associated materials; 2) disseminate request for proposal through multiple venues; 3) provide applicant and subrecipient technical assistance; 4) develop and manage grant proposal evaluation; 5) deliver virtual grant announcement event; 6) deliver and support multiple forms of education about futures fund investments and impact; 7) engage federal and nonfederal partnerships; ; 8) administer subrecipient grants and recipient cooperative agreements; and 9) manage and update spatial decision tool to inform futures fund conservation investments.subrecipient:subawards will be selected through a competitive grant process and will meet the objectives of the long island sound study comprehensive conservation management plan.outcomes:specifically, under this cooperative agreement the recipient will produce the following deliverables: 1) annual competitive grant program request for proposals and associated materials; 2) a comprehensive applicant pool; 3) technical assistance; 4) final slate of grant awards; 5) grant announcement event; 6) informational materials and presentations; 7) enhanced federal and nonfederal partnerships; 8) subrecipient and recipient award administration and a comprehensive quality management plan; and 9) a spatial decision tool and investment strategy. Direct beneficiaries of this program include the general population in the new york, connecticut, and upper basin portions of the long island sound watershed and its surrounding areas, schools, universities and other institutions of learning, environmental managers and policy makers and the participants in the long island sound study.