Seven years of conservation projects have been possible through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund (DWCF). To celebrate this great achievement, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), joined elected officials, funding partners, and grantees.
What is the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund (DWCF)?
In 2016, Congress passed the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act, which enabled the USFWS and NFWF to launch the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund in 2018. Its goal was to support the Act by allowing federal, state, regional, and local partners to collaborate on habitat restoration and conservation efforts throughout the Delaware River watershed.
DWCF grants fund projects in four priority areas:
- restoring fish and wildlife habitat
- reducing flooding impacting communities
- improving water quality
- enhancing safe public recreational access
The DWCF is funded through congressional appropriations to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with additional support from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, AstraZeneca, and the William Penn Foundation.
What has it accomplished since 2018?
The fund has awarded $72.1 million to 239 projects generating $100 million in match totaling $172.1 million.
The projects will:
- Restore over 26 miles of riparian habitat and 77 miles of stream habitat
- Conserve and enhance 1,176 acres of wetland habitat
- Restore 121 acres of floodplain
- Improve 32,522 acres of forest habitat
- Open 6,141 acres for public access
In 2024, the DWCF funded a record 45 projects, totaling $17.3 million in funding and about $20.7 million in matching funds.
These achievements, to name a few, highlight the huge impact of the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund.
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