$1.77 Million in Delaware River Restoration Funding Announced by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Philadelphia, Pa. (July 20, 2016) – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the William Penn Foundation today jointly announced a third-year round of funding for the Delaware River Restoration Fund projects. Twelve new or continuing water conservation and restoration grants totaling $1.77 million were unveiled at a news conference today in Philadelphia. The 12 awards announced today generated $3 million in match from the grantees, providing a total conservation impact of $4.77 million.

As part of the broader Delaware River Watershed Initiative, the William Penn Foundation provided $7 million in grant funding for NFWF to administer competitively through its Delaware River Restoration Fund in targeted regions throughout the Delaware River watershed, from 2013 to 2016. Delaware River Restoration Fund grants are multistate investments to restore habitats and deliver practices that ultimately improve and protect critical sources of drinking water. The 2016 grant recipients are:

  • New Jersey
    • The Nature Conservancy
    • Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority
    • American Littoral Society
    • Natural Lands Trust Inc.
    • New Jersey Audubon Society
  • Pennsylvania
    • Brandywine Red Clay Alliance
    • Darby Creek Valley Association
    • Pennsylvania Resources Council
    • Berks Nature
    • Brandywine Conservancy and Museum of Art
    • Horsham Township
    • Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership

“NFWF is proud of the great work of the Delaware Watershed grantees,” said Rachel Dawson, senior manager for NFWF’s Delaware River Restoration Fund. “Their efforts are a vital part of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative as a whole, and NFWF is thrilled to further advance progress made possible by the William Penn Foundation investment and this impressive group of conservation partners.”

“The Delaware River is the longest undammed river east of the Mississippi, flowing freely for 330 miles,” said Andrew Johnson, director of the water protection program for the William Penn Foundation. “It provides clean drinking water to more than 15 million people, many in major cities including Philadelphia; New York; Camden, N.J.; and Wilmington, Del. The 2016 slate of Delaware River Restoration Fund grants represents a strong commitment to restoring water quality and habitats in this iconic watershed, and we look forward to continued work with NFWF and its partners for broader water quality restoration.”

The Delaware River Watershed covers 13,539 square miles of land and water and is home to native brook trout, river herring, oysters, threatened plants and other wildlife. The Delaware River runs from the Catskills in New York, divides Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and empties into the Delaware Bay. Urban and suburban waterways, like those in Philadelphia and Wilmington, Del., play a major role in the entire ecosystem—and their headwaters are often in neighboring rural, agricultural areas. The NFWF-supported work takes place in a variety of landscapes across the 13,539-square-mile Delaware River Watershed and ultimately impacts water quality for those downstream.

With a Delaware River Restoration Fund investment of $1.77 million this year, combined with $3.9 million in grants over the last two years, NFWF’s grantees are able to leverage the William Penn Foundation resources for more far-reaching, on-the-ground conservation and restoration.

For a complete list of the grants announced today, please click here.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal agencies, corporations, foundations and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 4,500 organizations and committed more than $3.5 billion to conservation projects. Learn more at www.nfwf.org

About the William Penn Foundation

The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia region through efforts that increase educational opportunities for children from low-income families, ensure a sustainable environment, foster creativity that enhances civic life, and advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region. In partnership with others, the Foundation works to advance opportunity, ensure sustainability, and enable effective solutions. Since inception, the Foundation has made nearly 10,000 grants totaling over $1.6 billion. The Foundation’s assets exceed $2.3 billion as of March 31, 2015.