Restore America’s Estuaries Announces Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund’s Second Round of Subawardees

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) is pleased to announce the 2025 award recipients for the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF), a collaborative grant program with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Long Island Sound Partnership, formerly known as the Long Island Sound Study (LISS). Projects contribute to a wide range of Long Island Sound environmental, economic, and health benefits such as revitalizing waterfronts, increasing community access, building green jobs, green infrastructure to mitigate flooding, aquaculture, stewardship, STEM and place-based education.

In the second round of funding, organizations across New York and Connecticut submitted 27 Letters of Intent, with a total request of $2,420,516.67. Following recommendations from the interdisciplinary review committee, 20 applicants submitted Full Proposals, requesting a total amount of $1,864,103. LISCIF had up to $1,500,000 to distribute, with Restore America’s Estuaries selecting 16 awardees from various organizations, Tribal Nations, and institutions across the Long Island Sound region.

Additionally, Restore America’s Estuaries is excited to announce the continuation of LISCIF’s annual grant competition for an additional three years, providing $1,200,000 annually for each of the rounds. The next Request for Applications (RFA) will be made available in September 2025.

The following are the 2025 awardees: Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, Collective Oyster Recycling & Restoration, Setalcott Nation, Connecticut River Museum, Alliance for the Mystic River Watershed, Trust for Public Land, Save the Sound, City University of New York LaGuardia Community College, Mill River Wetland Committee, Interdistrict Committee for Project Oceanology, Guardians of Flushing Bay, Environmental Leaders of Color, Energy Justice Law and Policy Center, City Island Oyster Reef, and Bronx River Alliance.

“EPA is proud to help support organizations and projects that protect and restore Long Island Sound, which provides economic and recreational benefits to millions of people,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator Mark Sanborn. “The partnerships forged through this funding are prime examples of how working together helps make for a better and cleaner environment.”

“EPA’s work on the Long Island Sound illustrates our longstanding commitment to restoring water quality with the support of local partners and communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci. “These awards help strengthen those partnerships and advance the agency’s goals to deliver clean land, clean air and clean water for all those who enjoy the Sound.”

“RAE is looking forward to a continued collaboration with EPA and the Long Island Sound Partnership to support essential projects in the Long Island Sound region that will result in healthier, stronger, and economically thriving community institutions,” said Daniel Hayden, President and CEO of Restore America’s Estuaries.

Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American is the first pillar of EPA’s new strategic plan. By working with communities and awardees throughout the region, LISCIF funds help build capacity through job and skill development. RAE guides applicants throughout the grant application and project implementation cycle and ultimately, aims to support long-term success for recipients’ missions/goals for the Long Island Sound region.

“Extended funding allows for continued capacity-building trainings and supporting projects that ensure impactful and efficient use of federal dollars,” said Shahela Begum, LISCIF Program Director.

In consultation with Restore America’s Estuaries, an external panel of subject matter experts help to select projects based on their potential to address challenges faced by environmentally distressed communities within the geographic scope of the Long Island Sound estuary, managed under the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). As the newest CCMP was released by the Long Island Sound Partnership last month, projects are structured to support the objectives and goals of the CCMP.

Extended funding to LISCIF provides additional Annual Learning Exchanges focused on each state, providing more networking opportunities for award recipients, Tribal Nations, community organizations, municipalities, and institutions to come together and learn from one another. Funds support vital projects that contribute to a stronger and more resilient Long Island Sound.

For more information on LISCIF funding or upcoming events, please visit www.estuaries.org/liscif or direct questions by email to sbegum@estuaries.org.