WASHINGTON, D.C. — A major federal conservation push is flowing into the Delaware River watershed, with $12.5 million awarded to support 30 partner-led projects aimed at restoring habitats, improving water quality, expanding public access, and strengthening community resilience across four states.
The funding, announced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, comes through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund and will leverage nearly $17 million in matching contributions. The combined investment totals $29.3 million for strategic conservation work throughout the watershed.
Projects funded in 2025 are expected to open nearly 4,000 acres of land to public access, implement forest restoration plans on more than 11,000 acres, and restore wetlands and floodplains to help mitigate flooding and improve water quality.
The Delaware River watershed spans portions of Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York and supplies drinking water, jobs, and recreational opportunities to millions of residents. While it includes one of the most densely populated urban corridors in the nation, roughly half of the watershed remains forested. About 400 miles of the river are designated as National Wild and Scenic River, remaining largely undeveloped but accessible to the public.
In addition to core funding, the total investment includes $250,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to support collaborative forest management projects in New York and Pennsylvania, along with $1.26 million from other non-federal sources. That total includes funding from AstraZeneca to support beach restoration efforts in Delaware Bay.
Among this year’s grant recipients, PEACE New Jersey received $437,029 to implement a community-driven restoration plan for the Musconetcong River park in Hackettstown, New Jersey, improving habitat for priority species while expanding river access. The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation was awarded $325,000 to complete final pre-construction planning for the South Philadelphia Wetlands Park, a project combining public access with freshwater tidal ecosystem restoration.
In Delaware, the Red Clay Consolidated School District received $238,076 to install rain and pollinator gardens on school campuses, benefiting wildlife and water quality while providing outdoor learning opportunities. The Nature Conservancy received $340,337 to develop a multi-state strategy for reconnecting fish and wildlife habitat corridors in the Upper Delaware River watershed across New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund is now accepting applications for its 2026 grant cycle. Proposals are due Thursday, March 26, 2026. A full list of 2025 grant awards is available at https://www.nfwf.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/NFWF-DWCF-20260113-GS.pdf, and application details can be found at https://www.nfwf.org/programs/delaware-river-program.
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