Partners for New Hampshire’s Fish and Wildlife Announce Four Grants to Restore Forests and Freshwater Habitat
MANCHESTER, NH (October 3, 2017) – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced four grants totaling more than $380,000 to restore New Hampshire’s forest and freshwater habitat. The grants were awarded through Partners for New Hampshire’s Fish and Wildlife, a partnership between NFWF and Eversource.
“In just three short years, this partnership with Eversource has funded vital conservation efforts to restore over 2,500 acres of forest habitat, and over 550 miles of fish habitat,” Amanda Bassow, Northeastern Regional Director of NFWF said. “By pooling funding from Eversource, the American Forest Foundation and our Federal partners, we have been able to deliver $4.2 million in grant funding and match, empowering grantees to implement the most cost-effective conservation projects in New Hampshire that are good for fish, wildlife and their surrounding communities.”
The projects supported by the four conservation grants announced today expect to improve over 1,500 acres of forest habitat and restore at least 2 miles of river habitat. Grantees will work with public and private landowners to restore river and stream habitat for eastern brook trout, and will improve forest habitat for New England cottontail, American woodcock and golden-winged warbler. Collectively the projects will engage 82 landowners in private conservation.
“These grant recipients have achieved incredible results, whether it is restoring river passages, seeking better management practices for forests or fostering health habitats for New Hampshire’s wildlife,” said Eversource NH President Bill Quinlan. “The diversity of projects has allowed this program to both improve engagement and enjoyment of the land, as well as collect meaningful data that will inform future conservation and restoration efforts.”
“Both fish and wildlife are dependent on the habitat that forests provide in uplands, in riparian areas, and even in streams themselves. And private landowners are an important part of the equation in New Hampshire where most of the land is privately owned” said Constance Carpenter, Northeast area field representative for the U.S. Forest Service, State and Private Forestry Program.
Partners for New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife grants were solicited competitively through the New England Forests and Rivers Fund, a public-private partnership between NFWF, Eversource’s Partners for New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife, the American Forest Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and U.S. Forest Service.
The New England Forests and Rivers Fund announced a total of 10 grant awards today, including those grants mentioned above. All grants were evaluated by a technical review committee composed of government, academic and other experts. Funding decisions were based on the project’s potential to achieve long-term, measurable conservation outcomes matching the program’s goals.
To learn more about Partners for New Hampshire’s Fish and Wildlife or to download the 2017 Partners for New Hampshire’s Fish and Wildlife Grant Slate, visit www.nfwf.org/eversourcepartners.
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 $3.8 billion to conservation projects. Learn more at www.nfwf.org.
About Eversource
Eversource (NYSE: ES) is New Hampshire's largest electric utility, serving more than 500,000 homes and businesses in 211 cities and towns. Eversource harnesses the commitment of its more than 8,000 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of delivering reliable energy and superior customer service. For more information, please visit our website (www.eversource.com) and follow us on Twitter (@eversourceNH) and Facebook (facebook.com/EversourceNH).
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