News

Congress votes to invest $50 Million In Nation’s Estuaries

Local orgs like the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary could benefit from this new legislation.

The Protect and Restore America’s Estuaries Act, which supports national estuaires and nearly doubles funding to $50 million, was signed into law on January 13, 2021.

The National Estuary Program (NEP) is a non-regulatory program that enables communities to restore and protect the bays and estuaries. Locally, the Delaware Estuary and its host Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE), is one of 28 “estuaries of national significance” that will benefit directly from this legislation. 

Each NEP could receive as much as $1 million each year under the new law. The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary works with local communities to protect the coastal resources critical to local tourism, commerce, storm protection, clean water, and marine-based food supply such as fisheries and aquaculture. Threats from climate change, pollution, harmful algal blooms, accelerating land loss, and risks to biodiversity threaten these vital resources.

The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary boasts a few accomplishments in 2020: recycled more than 17,000 pounds of oyster shells for restoration projects, over 60 virtual programs during the Delaware River Festival, installed a dozen new groundwater monitoring wells, and studied over 22,000 stems of cordgrass to track saltwater intrusion impacts. Over the past three years, it reinforced 1,300 feet of living shoreline in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey with recycled oyster shells. 

Cover photo:  Wetlands, courtesy of Partnership for the Delaware Estuary


Julie Hancher

Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake.

Recent Posts

Rally Against Rate Hikes, Free ‘How City Council Works’ Training, Native Plants Guide & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news: 25 Philly-Area Solar for Schools grants awarded. Lawmakers…

4 days ago

How to match your dollars with your values: Invest in less plastic, not fossil fuels.

Green Century has helped investors and businesses support the planet, not polluters, for over 30…

5 days ago

Can a greener Philly reduce crime?

In a bid to improve public safety, quality of life initiatives are bringing brighter lights…

6 days ago

Ride of Silence, Brownfields Cleanup, Solar in Schools, & More

Catch up on this week's sustainability news: New public orchard and gateway garden at Penn…

2 weeks ago

Sustainability with substance: How local green entrepreneurs strive for success

Consumers want authentic sustainability from suppliers. Without flashy funding or shortcuts, here's how these local…

2 weeks ago

Eco-Explainer: SEPTA is in a Funding Crisis. What’s the deadline to save it?

The transit agency may look drastically different if Harrisburg doesn’t act. Here are the key…

2 weeks ago