Philadelphia, Pa. (September 29, 2003) - In the heart of the Lower Delaware Watershed, Delaware Estuary Program Director Peter Evans and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Executive Director John Berry today announced $500,000 in grants to 27 groups working to restore living resources and water quality in the 6,000 square mile Delaware Estuary.

In its first year, the Delaware Estuary Grants Program is able to offer funding to organizations working in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, three states that share the land and water of this magnificent resource. Today's grants encourage citizen stewardship in local watersheds intended to improve the health of the entire Estuary. Another important program goal is to strengthen the link between communities and the Delaware Estuary Program.

All projects address action items from the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for the Delaware Estuary (1996). The Plan made recommendations to improve land use, water use, water quality, habitat, and the living resources in the Estuary.

"These grants are fantastic," according to Estuary Program Director Peter Evans, "since they help a wide variety of community groups, schools, non-profit organizations, and local governments to implement projects that protect natural resources and increase public awareness of the positive connections between our economy, our quality of life, and the watersheds we call home."

"The Delaware Estuary is truly a national treasure for wildlife and for people," said National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Executive Director John Berry. "The Estuary contains habitat for migratory shorebirds, commercial and recreational fish species, extensive oyster reefs, vast tidal marsh, and the largest horseshoe crab population in the world. It is also home to over 6 million people who depend on its clean water for drinking, industrial uses and recreation."

Activities supported by the grants being announced today include wetland and stream restoration, riparian plantings, land conservation, as well as the development and implementation of community watershed management plans and other water quality improvement strategies. Funding for the first year of grant awards is provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Natural Resources Conservation Service, William Penn Foundation, ConocoPhillips.

"This grant program will enhance partnership efforts to protect and conserve important fish and wildlife habitats in the Delaware Estuary and complement habitats currently protected by the National Wildlife Refuge System and State Natural Resource Areas," according to Richard O. Bennett, Ph.D., acting regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Northeast.

"NOAA is proud to support the Delaware Estuary Grants Program with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation," said NOAA Deputy Assistant Secretary Tim Keeney. "This Program is a model for building on-the-ground, community-based partnerships for conservation of the nation's valuable coastal resources."

"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased that this additional funding has been secured for habitat restoration projects that will benefit the estuary," said Donald S. Welsh, U.S. EPA's mid-Atlantic regional administrator.

"Our nation's estuaries are unique places where fresh and salt water mix-creating vibrant habitats for marine life and scenic spots for boating and birdwatching," said EPA Region 2 Deputy Regional Administrator, William J. Muszynski. "Since the Delaware Estuary became part of EPA's National Estuary Program in 1988, dedicated groups like today's grant recipients have played a key role in contributing to its recovery and protection."

"We're seeing improvements in the overall health of the estuary," noted Carol R. Collier, executive director of the Delaware River Basin Commission. "Involving the local communities is key to achieving our shared goal of healthier ecosystems, stronger communities and a more vibrant economy. We can have all three."

"Pennsylvania welcomes the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as a valued partner in implementing the Delaware Estuary Program's goals of watershed protection, habitat restoration and water quality improvement," Pennsylvania DEP Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty said. "The Foundation's program helps move important tri-state priorities from the planning phase to realization. It's also a nice complement to Pennsylvania's Growing Greener and Energy Harvest grant programs, and a perfect example of the innovative ways we can address pressing environmental issues by partnering with local communities in restoration projects."

"Governor Minner and I are very pleased that the Delaware Estuary has been selected for support by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation," said DNREC Secretary John A. Hughes. "We're proud to announce this grants program for Delaware's community organizations, watershed groups, and local governments, and we encourage them to apply for funds to restore water quality and habitat in their local watersheds that drain into the Delaware Estuary. The Governor and I look forward to recognizing Delaware's grant recipients at our October 5th Coast Day celebration in Lewes." The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization established by Congress in 1984 and dedicated to the conservation of fish, wildlife, plants and the habitat on which they depend. Since 1984, the Foundation has awarded over 5,000 grants and leveraged over $226 million in federal funds for more than $700 million in on-the-ground conservation.

The Delaware Estuary Program is a partnership organized in 1988 to develop and implement plans for the protection and enhancement of the Delaware Estuary. It is organized and funded primarily by the US EPA, the states of Delaware and New Jersey, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, the Delaware River basin Commission and the City of Philadelphia in collaboration with many other agencies and organizations that share an interest in maintaining the ecosystem and the associated economic and recreation opportunities.