SACRAMENTO- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe today announced three grants, totaling more than $1.8 million to support critical coastal wetland projects in California. Over $21 million will be provided to 25 projects in 13 coastal and Great Lakes states to protect, restore or enhance more than 11,000 acres of coastal wetlands and adjacent upland habitats under the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.
State and local governments, private landowners, conservation groups and other partners will contribute over $35 million in additional funds to these projects, which include acquiring, restoring or enhancing coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands to provide long-term conservation benefits to fish and wildlife and their habitats.
“Coastal wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world,” said Director Ashe. “The nation’s coastal resources provide resting, feeding and breeding habitat for 75 percent of waterfowl and other migratory birds, and nearly 45 percent of the nation’s endangered and threatened species are dependent on coastal habitats. Coastal wetlands also provide billions of dollars in ecosystem services through drinking water filtration, buffering against storms and flood control, as well as billions more to support local economies through outdoor recreation-related expenditures and jobs.”
The program, funded in part through taxes paid on equipment and fuel purchases by recreational anglers and boaters, creates significant benefits for other recreationists and the American public. The billions of dollars generated through recreational angling, boating, waterfowl hunting and bird watching benefit communities in the vicinity of wetlands restoration projects.
Wetlands in coastal watersheds in the U.S. are experiencing a net annual loss of more than 80,000 acres according to a recent report by the Service, highlighting the importance of coastal wetland conservation. Conservation of this habitat will not only benefit coastal wetland-dependent wildlife, but will also enhance flood protection and water quality, and provide economic and recreational benefits to anglers, boaters, hunters and wildlife watchers.
The Service awards grants of up to $1 million to states based on a national competition, which enables states to determine and address their highest conservation priorities in coastal areas. Since 1992, the Service has awarded over $357 million in grants under the program. Click here for the complete list of projects funded by the 2015 grant program.
“This program provides states with an extraordinary opportunity to address conservation priorities in coastal areas at a time when coastal wetlands are under siege from the combined forces of development and climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
Learn more about climate change ,” said Ashe. “These coastal wetlands grants are more important than ever in helping to ensure the resilience of coastal communities and the preservation of our wildlife heritage.”
The California projects receiving grants are:
Cullinan Ranch Restoration Project – Phase 2
The California Wildlife Conservation Board is awarded $399,000 to enhance 10 acres of upland transition habitat through a native revegetation program, implement an early detection rapid response protocol for invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species , and improve the hydrology and overall habitat quality of 1,314 acres of tidal estuarine marsh. Cullinan Ranch is owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and managed as part of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It was originally acquired as critical habitat for the endangered salt marsh salt marsh
Salt marshes are found in tidal areas near the coast, where freshwater mixes with saltwater.
Learn more about salt marsh harvest mouse and the California clapper rail, which are covered under a joint recovery plan. This project will complete the constructed phase of the project and deal with the invasive species that have colonized the wetland edge during the restoration process.
Elkhorn Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration
California Coastal Conservancy is awarded $1 million to restore 61 acres of tidal wetlands and to establish perennial grassland on five acres adjacent to the restored tidal wetlands. The project is the second phase of a larger project to restore 100 acres of tidal marsh in Elkhorn Slough and the adjoining 35 acres of existing buffer areas to perennial grassland. Elkhorn Slough estuary in Monterey Bay supports the largest saltmarsh on the west coast south of San Francisco Bay. This project will increase the extent of the tidal marsh by 8-10 percent, reduce tidal scour, increase coastal resilience to climate change impacts, and protect and improve water quality. Wildlife habitats in Elkhorn Slough provide a rich ecosystem that supports over 340 bird, 550 marine invertebrate, and 102 fish species.
Wood Creek Restoration Project
California Coastal Conservancy is awarded $423,800 to restore the coastal wetland ecosystems of the Freshwater Creek Slough, particularly the important tributary stream known as Wood Creek. The project will provide better hydraulic connectivity between Wood Creek and its upper basin, creating brackish wetland habitat for coho salmon and protected resting places for shorebirds during high-tides at nearby Humboldt Bay.
