Partners for New Hampshire’s Fish and Wildlife Announce Seven Grants to Restore Forests and Rivers in New Hampshire

NFWF – Eversource partnership awards $333,000 in grants, combines with $329,000 in additional NFWF funding for total conservation impact of $662,000

Manchester, N.H., July 30, 2015 – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced seven grants totaling more than $662,000 to restore New Hampshire’s forest and freshwater habitat. The grants were funded through Partners for New Hampshire’s Fish and Wildlife, a partnership between Eversource and NFWF.

Collectively, the conservation grants announced today will open 82 miles of streams for Eastern Brook Trout through modification and replacement of culverts and other barriers. Projects will improve habitat for New England cottontail and American woodcock on 140 acres of forestland. Additionally, they will recruit more than 430 volunteers to assist in completing conservation projects.

“Our partnership with Eversource is addressing critical conservation priorities in New Hampshire for a diverse group of fish and wildlife species,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO at NFWF. “This model public-private partnership demonstrates how we can accelerate the rate of restoration by pooling resources in order to achieve important conservation outcomes.”

“These grants show how beneficial a partnership like the one between Eversource and NFWF can be,” said Bill Quinlan, President of New Hampshire Electric Operations for Eversource, which is funding Partners for New Hampshire’s Fish and Wildlife through its Northern Pass project. “Our commitment as a company to New Hampshire means preserving our treasured resources and building more secure energy future.”

The grant recipients are:

  • American Rivers - Assessing Fish Barrier Priority Modifications in the Connecticut River Tributaries (Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont) $50,324

  • Connecticut River Watershed Council - Getting Conservation on the Ground - Outreach and Assistance For Limited Resource Landowners (Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont) $64,540

  • Connecticut River Watershed Council - Restoring Connectivity Through Fish Barrier Modifications on Oliverian Brook (New Hampshire) $65,000

  • Merrimack River Watershed Council - Expanding Riparian Forest Buffers to Improve Water Quality Using a Precision Stormwater Approach (Massachusetts and New Hampshire) $103,971

  • University of New Hampshire - The Stewardship Network: New England - Mobilizing Volunteers for Forest and Riparian Habitat Restoration (New Hampshire) $100,000

  • Vermont Center for Ecostudies - Mapping Abundance and Estimating Population Size of Bicknell's Thrush (Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont) $78,588

  • Wildlife Management Institute - Restoring Young Forests To Benefit New England Cottontail and American Woodcock (New Hampshire) $200,000

These grants were solicited competitively through NFWF’s New England Forests and Rivers Fund, of which Partners for New Hampshire Fish and Wildlife is a major contributor, and 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 that match the program’s goals.

The New England Forests and Rivers Fund is awarding a total of thirteen grants today throughout New England, seven of which include work in New Hampshire (listed above). In addition to funding from Eversource’s Partners for New Hampshire’s Fish and Wildlife, major funding for the New England Forests and Rivers Fund is provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores our nation’s wildlife and habitats. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF directs public conservation dollars to the most pressing environmental needs and matches those investments with private contributions. NFWF works with government, nonprofit and corporate partners to find solutions for the most intractable conservation challenges. Over the last three decades, NFWF has funded more than 4,000 organizations and committed more than $2.9 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).