Coalition Reveals New Funding to Improve New Jersey’s Waterways
Wattles Stewardship Center Exemplifies the Benefits of Restoring the Delaware River Basin through Leveraging Federal Funds

WHO: A representative from U.S. Senator Cory Booker’s office, the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed, New Jersey Audubon, Trout Unlimited, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Youth Corps of Phillipsburg, North Jersey RC&D, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

WHAT: Press conference and optional walking tour of Wattles Stewardship Center projects with John Parke, Stewardship Project Director at New Jersey Audubon.

WHERE: Wattles Stewardship Center, 1024 Anderson Road, Port Murray, NJ 07865.

WHEN: Tuesday, July 17 at 1 p.m.

PHOTO/VIDEO OPPORTUNITY: During the tour, there will be photo and video opportunities of nature scenes and conservation projects happening within the Delaware River Basin at Wattles Stewardship Center.

WHY: A representative from U.S. Senator Booker’s office and organizations will gather for a press conference to celebrate new federal funding coming to the state due to New Jersey’s location within the Delaware River Basin. The Delaware River Basin encompasses portions of New Jersey, Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania, and supplies over 15 million people with drinking water, which is 5% of the U.S. population – including Trenton and Camden.

For the first time in history, dedicated federal funding to support conservation and restoration work in Delaware River states was secured in the amount of $5 million for the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program (DRBRP). The DRBRP is a non-regulatory program that is being administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and it includes matching grant funds for on-the-ground conservation work happening in New Jersey and other states in the basin. In New Jersey, the Delaware River Basin covers 40% (2,961 square miles) of the land area and includes 22% of the state’s population.

One such example of improving the Delaware River Basin through leveraging federal funding can be seen at Wattles Stewardship Center, where partner organizations used USDA Natural Resources Conservation funds through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funds; and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funds, some of which are affiliated with the William Penn Foundation, in order to create a healthier Musconetcong River, a tributary of the Delaware River. Following the press conference will be a site tour of these land and water projects led by New Jersey Audubon.

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The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed is a network of 131 non-governmental organizations dedicated to protecting and restoring the natural resources of the Delaware River Basin. To find out more, visit www.DelRiverWatershed.org.