Delaware River Restoration Fund

Posted by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation on February 13, 2017

NFWF Accepting Proposals for Delaware River Restoration Fund

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with support from the William Penn Foundation, is accepting proposals for projects aimed at restoring the water quality and habitats of the Delaware River watershed.

In 2017, the Delaware River Restoration Fund will award matching grants of up to $500,000 for projects aimed at improving waters that contribute to the overall health of the Delaware River. Grants will be awarded in four categories: Targeted Watershed Implementation Grants, Cluster Cornerstone Grants, Habitat Restoration Grants, Innovation Grants.

1) Targeted Watershed Implementation Grants: Grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations, local governments, and educational institutions to implement on-the-ground restoration aimed at improving water quality and habitat within one or more of five Delaware River Watershed Initiative (DRWI) sub-watershed “Clusters”: Kirkwood-Cohansey, New Jersey Highlands, Middle Schuylkill, Brandywine-Christina, and Suburban Philadelphia. Projects should be located within or benefit Cluster focal areas as identified in the Cluster plans. One or more of three priority strategies must be addressed: Conservation on Working Lands – Farms and Forests; Restoring Streams, Floodplains and Wetlands; and Green Infrastructure in Urban/Suburban Landscapes.

2) Cluster Cornerstone Grants: Grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations, local governments, and educational institutions to implement large-scale, strategic project(s) in Cluster focal areas that can serve as “cornerstones” as the DRRF transitions into its second phase. Projects should integrate several partners with clear roles, address multiple restoration priorities through a detailed work plan, and leverage Cluster resources (including monitoring) to serve as a model in collaboratively advancing goals set forth in Cluster plans.

3) Habitat Restoration Grants: Grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations, local governments, and educational institutions to address habitat restoration priorities and cross-cutting issues that are barriers to, or represent unique opportunities for, accelerating water quality in the Delaware River watershed.

4) Innovation Grants: Grants will be awarded to projects that address cross-cutting issues that are barriers to, or represent unique opportunities for, accelerating water quality improvement in the Delaware River Watershed. Grants may support cutting-edge methods and new technologies aimed at driving down costs, increasing collaboration, expanding the effectiveness of restoration practices, and accelerating conservation efforts. Projects should seek to build proof of concept and are encouraged to include assessment and evaluation so as to draw meaningful conclusions about program effectiveness and include written case studies documenting the results so as to enhance transferability. Priority will be given to projects that contribute to Cluster plans and DRWI goals.

See the NFWF website for complete program guidelines and proposal submission instructions.

DEADLINE: MARCH 30, 2017

http://www.nfwf.org/delaware/Pages/drrf2017rfp.aspx