WAREHAM – State officials have announced $182,897 in grants to protect crucial habitats in the Buzzards Bay Watershed through the replacement of old or inadequate culverts to restore tidal flow and protect anadromous fish populations and strategic purchases to expand conservation lands.
The federal grants come through the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management via the EPA’s Southeast New England Program and will be complemented by almost $90,000 in state, local, and private sector funds.
The largest award will go to Wareham, which will receive $70,000 for culvert replacements to improve tidal exchange for 11 acres of marshlands.
Westport will receive $50,000 for data collection and surveyance efforts to replace three culverts, improving access for anadromous fish including brook trout, river herring, and American eel.
The Town of Marion will receive $47,897 to complete feasibility assessments for a pair of culverts on Delano Roads deemed insufficient for protecting wooded wetlands in the Great Swamp.
The smallest award will go to Fairhaven, which will receive $15,000 to purchase a conservation restriction on a 5.75-acre parcel comprising coastal forests, wetlands, and perennial streams strategically connected to over 250 acres of conservation land.
“These targeted grant projects will preserve land that provides important habitat and public access, enhance salt marsh health and climate resilience, and remove barriers to native fish migration,” said Tyler Soleau, Acting Director of the Office of Coastal Zone Management.
“The Healey-Driscoll Administration continues to work diligently to secure federal funds such as these to forward environmental protection priorities throughout Massachusetts.”
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