{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://magaziner.house.gov/media/press-releases/new-11-million-federal-award-fund-rwu-nbep-partnered-watershed-protection", "New $1.1 Million Federal Award to Fund RWU-NBEP Partnered Watershed Protection Projects", "2023-09-26", "2023", "2023-09", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "Seth Magaziner", "M001223", "magaziner.house.gov", "magaziner", "https://magaziner.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BRISTOL, RI \u2013 In an effort to protect Narragansett Bay, promote environmental stewardship, and enhance coastal resiliency and the blue economy, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner today announced $1.1 million in federal funding for Roger Williams University to continue working with the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program (NBEP) on issues pertaining to coastal ecosystems.\n\nThe federal funds flow to the Ocean State under the National Estuary Program, which is a network of 28 place-based organizations working to restore \u201cestuaries of national significance\u201d around the United States. The Narragansett Bay Estuary Program activates a 30-member partnership of government, academic, scientific, and conservation organizations for the preservation, protection, restoration, and improvement of Narragansett Bay, Little Narragansett Bay. the Rhode Island Coastal Ponds, and their vast watersheds.\n\nThis new award brings the total granted to NBEP in FY23 to more than $2 million, thanks in part to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Southeast New England Program (SNEP), and Senator Whitehouse\u2019s Protect and Restore America's Estuaries Act. Senator Reed spearheaded the creation of SNEP as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Whitehouse\u2019s law nearly doubled the program\u2019s authorization to $50 million per year annually for 2022 through 2026 to help protect 28 individual estuaries and watersheds in the United States.\n\nThe federal funds may be used to further planning, research, and outreach for programs that engage local communities on issues such as wildlife and habitat restoration, water quality, storm protection and rising sea levels.\n\n\u201cThe strong community partnership between Roger Williams University and the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program is paying dividends for our coastal communities and improving the health of our waters. I commend Senator Whitehouse for his leadership in protecting not only Narragansett Bay, but estuaries and ecosystems nationwide. This new funding will advance ecological research here in Rhode Island and help protect our wildlife and wetlands for years to come,\u201d said Senator Reed.\n\n\u201cThe Ocean State\u2019s Narragansett Bay estuary plays a major role in our economy and daily lives,\u201d said Senator Whitehouse, who sponsors a National Estuaries Week resolution in the Senate every year. \u201cI worked to nearly double funding for the National Estuary Program, and a good chunk of that is coming to Rhode Island to protect Narragansett Bay. I want to thank Roger Williams University and the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program for their continued partnership in keeping the Bay clean and safeguarding fragile coastal wetlands.\u201d\n\n\u201cRhode Island\u2019s estuaries, waterways, and watersheds are part of our state\u2019s natural heritage and we must fight to preserve these habitats for future generations to enjoy,\u201d said Rep. Seth Magaziner. \u201cThis federal funding will help protect Narragansett Bay, foster healthy ecosystems, and promote conservation efforts for coastal communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs Rhode Island positions itself as a center for the growing blue economy, Roger Williams University is leading the initiatives and research that prioritize ecosystem health and coastal resiliency,\u201d said RWU President Ioannis N. Miaoulis. \u201cWith the support from Sen. Reed, Sen. Whitehouse and U.S. Rep. Magaziner, and RWU\u2019s collaborative partnership that includes student internships to address these critical environmental and social justice issues, the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program will continue its important work to protect the Narragansett Bay ecosystem and improve the quality of life and natural resources for our communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cFederal funding, alongside a strong partnership with our host, Roger Williams University, empowers NBEP to catalyze, facilitate, and fund scientific inquiry and collective action to restore and protect the Narragansett Bay region\u2019s water quality, wildlife, and quality of life,\u201d said Darcy Young, Interim Executive Director of NBEP. \u201cOur work spans boundaries to communicate science, convene interests, and fund planning for projects that will sustain natural environments and healthy communities.\u201d\n\nThe partnership between RWU and NBEP serves as a channel for federal funding for watershed projects that help address the consequences of water pollution, climate change, and environmental inequities. The organization seeks to bring diverse organizations together from across boundaries to build consensus around complex environmental challenges. NBEP has funded over 150 scientific studies and shared data on the health of the Bay with policymakers to ensure data-driven solutions to pressing challenges.\n\nNBEP\u2019s recent accomplishments include:\n\n\u2022 Creating a long-term plan to improve the Blackstone River, the second largest tributary to Narragansett Bay that runs from Worcester, Massachusetts, to Pawtucket, Rhode Island.\n\n\u2022 Funding much-needed capacity in local organizations that have the agency to effect positive environmental change in underserved communities.\n\n\u2022 Initiating a stormwater master plan for Mt. Hope High School in Bristol.\n\n\u2022 Documenting the positive impact of recent reductions in the discharge of nutrient pollution from wastewater treatment facilities is having on Narragansett Bay.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:37:48Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://magaziner.house.gov/media/press-releases/new-11-million-federal-award-fund-rwu-nbep-partnered-watershed-protection"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8669109083712101, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}