With valuable input from numerous stakeholders and Coalition members, we've honed in on our shared goals for 2024 and 2025.
The forthcoming initiatives are poised to pave the way for transformative advancements across both the federal and state levels. Let's dive into the overarching themes that will shape the Coalition's efforts in the upcoming years.
CDRW’s New Jersey members have been busy the last couple of months. We had the opportunity to hear from both the Department of Environmental Protection and NJ Assemblyman Brandon Umba about ongoing efforts to address the impact of PFAS in New Jersey waterways.
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are manmade chemical toxins that pose a significant threat to public health, water quality and wildlife. PFAS have been linked to severe human health impacts, including cancer. These substances are present in many of the products that we use in our everyday lives and they have been found virtually everywhere, from the Arctic to the Delaware River.
LANGHORNE, PA – Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) joined conservation leaders yesterday at Tyler State Park to announce a 2023 grant slate to the Delaware River Watershed Conservation Fund, totaling $14.9 million. In addition to the historic announcement, Congressman Fitzpatrick was joined by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff on a tour of the Spring Garden Dam Removal project at Tyler State Park. The Dam Removal project was funded through the 2022 Delaware River Watershed Conservation Fund and is currently in its construction phase.
Wilmington, DE (August 31, 2023) – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced today 36 Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund awards totaling $14.9 million, which includes $4.5 million in funds made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grantees have committed $20 million in match, for a total conservation impact of $34.9 million that will restore and protect our land and water resources.
In 1989, Congress directed the Department of the Interior to compare the estimated total number of wetland acres in the 1780s [Revolutionary Wartime] and in the 1980s in areas that now comprise each state. This request included an estimated percentage of wetlands loss to be calculated in each state during this 200-year period. To their dismay, a 53-percent loss of historical wetlands was estimated to have occurred over just two centuries.
In a 231-190 vote on June 14, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA).
This legislation will dedicate $1.4 billion annually to proactive, locally-led efforts to recover thousands of at-risk wildlife species, while creating jobs and prioritizing the outdoor recreation economy at a time when our country and planet are facing a biodiversity crisis.
By: Erica J. Rossetti (she/her), Urban Waters Coordinator, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
Many of our cities and developed areas across the United States face similar issues affecting the health of humans, habitats, and communities: pollution, flooding and erosion, disconnection from waterways and nature, environmental injustices, housing and economic disparities, and the brunt of climate change impacts. To combat such sweeping issues, it is crucial to center the voices of those impacted, empower communities, and prioritize the revitalization of our urban environments.
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