ATLANTA (August 10, 2018) – Today, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $38,923 grant to Wolf River Conservancy, Inc. in Memphis, Tenn. The Conservancy will remove 50 acres of invasive plants, 1,500 trees and clean up trash and debris from properties along sections of the Wolf River in Memphis to protect and restore the watershed features and hydrological functions of the areas.
"These grants will support projects that help communities improve local water quality and restore degraded wetlands and streams, both of which are critical for a healthy environment and strong economy," said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “By working alongside our public and private partners, we can encourage community stewardship and incentivize innovative solutions to address today’s environmental and public health challenges.”
The Wolf River Conservancy, Inc. grant is one of 59 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program grants awarded, totaling $2.2 million to restore wildlife habitat and urban waters in 30 states and the District of Columbia. Grantees have committed an additional $5.2 million in local project support, generating a total conservation impact of more than $7.4 million.
“EPA is proud to support community-led projects in Tennessee that will help address environmental needs and challenges in priority watersheds,” said Region 4 Administrator Trey Glenn. “Work by grant awardees is essential to restoring these important ecosystems and improving the quality of our lakes, rivers and streams.”
The grants are awarded through the NFWF’s Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program which supports projects that develop community stewardship of natural resources and address water quality issues in priority watersheds across the country. Support for the 2018 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program is provided by the Wildlife Habitat Council, and funding by EPA, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fedex, Shell Oil Company, Southern Company and BNSF Railway.
“The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program generates measurable results for wildlife and communities across the nation,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “The 59 grants announced today will help communities improve water quality and support wildlife through a variety of conservation efforts, from the removal of invasive species and planting of native vegetation to the reduction of stormwater runoff and creation of wetlands.”
“The Wolf River Conservancy looks forward to continuing its work to engage members of our community in the restoration and enhancement of the urban Wolf River watershed with projects to improve water quality, reduce runoff, and increase biodiversity,” said Catherine A. Justis, Director of Education. “We especially want to acknowledge our local Five Star partner, FedEx, for its strong support.”
The 2018 grant winners were selected from a highly competitive pool of more than 250 applications. A full list of 2018 projects is available here: http://www.nfwf.org/fivestar/Documents/2018grantslate.pdf
Since 1999, the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program has supported more than 945 projects, with more than $11.9 million in federal funds, $10.6 million in private and corporate contributions, and $74.7 million in matching funds at the local level.
For more information about the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant program, visit https://www.epa.govhttps://www.epa.gov/urbanwaterspartners/five-star-and-urban-waters-restoration-grant-program-2018
