Good news for Long Island Sound and all who love fishing, boating, learning and enjoying its waters – and to all the creatures who live, feed, reproduce and replenish its waters – 25 grants totaling $1.3 million have been announed for local government and community groups in Connecticut and New York by the Long Island Sound Futures Fund.

The grants support projects that will continue to improve water quality, restore habitat, enhance living resources, and educate and involve the public with the ultimate goal of protecting and further restoring Long Island Sound. Projects like green infrastructure improvements at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport and environmental stewardship, education and restoration in communities from Stratford to Mystic and up the Farmington River benefit everyone from nearby residents to those at the furthest reaches of Long Island Sound. The efforts of all 23 million people in watersheds impacting the Sound are needed to build on the progress that has already been made. The projects, which are funded through the Long Island Sound Futures Fund, will open up seven miles of river for passage of native fish and restore 180 acres of coastal habitat, including lakes, ponds, and grasslands.

This public-private grant program pools funds from the US Environmental Protection Agency, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

For all project listings awards, visit longislandsoundstudy.net.