The deadline to apply for the 2011 Sound Futures Fund program was March 18. Check back to this site to find out when the 2012 Requests for Proposals is released.

LIS Futures Fund

What is the Long Island Sound Futures Fund?

The purpose of the Sound Futures Fund is to support projects that restore and protect the health and living resources of Long Island Sound.

The Fund seeks to:

• Stimulate restoration of important habitats;
• Encourage locally-based projects that improve water quality and protect water resources;
• Support communities in developing and implementing watershed management plans;
• Encourage environmentally sensitive development and land-use planning;
• Develop the capacity of state and local governments, citizens groups, educational, and other organizations to promote community based stewardship;
• Increase public access to water and open space;
• Provide opportunities for direct educational experiences with the Sound; and
• Promote a greater understanding of the estuary and the interrelationship between the health of the Sound and the condition of local watersheds.

Fund Partners

Major financial support for the Sound Futures Fund is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in concert with the Long Island Sound Study (LISS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS),  FedEx, Carolyn Conklin Trust, and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).

EPA Regions I and II, FWS, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, New York and Connecticut sea grants, Interstate Environmental Commission, New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration review proposals and provide technical assistance to applicants and recipients.

What are the General Funding Priorities?

There are three categories of grant awards available under the Sound Futures Fund:

Implementation Grants

Grants ranging from $20,000 to $150,000 will be awarded to projects that result in quantifiable pollutant reductions or habitat improvements (protection, enhancement, or restoration) that directly lead to measurable improvements in the health of Long Island Sound and its watershed. Implementation projects include on-the-ground restoration or land protection (fee simple or conservation easement acquisition) activities that are important to coastal habitats and/or help attain water quality standards by controlling nutrients, pathogens, and other pollutants identified in the Long Island Sound Study Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan.

The highest percentage of available grant funds will be dedicated to implementation activities in this category.

Innovation, planning,, and Education Grants

Grant awards ranging from $10,000 to $125,000. There are three funding ranges in this category:

1. Innovation Grants: Grants ranging from $20,000 to $125,000 will be awarded to projects that seek to enhance water quality or improve coastal habitat using innovative methods, techniques and/or new technologies.  Preference will be given to those projects that also expand our collective knowledge about the most cost effective and sustainable approaches to restoring water quality and improving habitat in the Sound.  Funding may be for any category of grant or eligible activity except for small grants.

2. Planning Grants: Grants ranging from $20,000 to $60,000 will be awarded to support planning and design activities that set the stage for successful implementation of water quality, stewardship, conservation, and/or watershed restoration projects.

3. Education Grants: Grants ranging from $15,000 to $35,000 will be awarded to support hands-on education projects that engage the public and increase awareness, appreciation, and stewardship of Long Island Sound.

Small Grants

Grants ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 will be awarded to projects that involve public participation, information, and education.

What is the Geographic Focus of the Grant Program?

Projects must fall within the coastal area boundary established by the LISS (e.g., the Long Island Sound and its coastal watersheds). This includes the coastal portions of New York City and the counties of Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk in New York that drain to Long Island Sound, and the coastal area of Connecticut. Proposals for watershed protection, stormwater management, and nonpoint source pollution control and anadromous fish passage projects may be in any portion of Westchester County that drains to Long Island Sound, and all of Connecticut, with a special focus on portions of the major drainages (i.e., Connecticut, Housatonic, Quinnipiac, Thames Rivers) emptying into the Sound.

Who are the Eligible Applicants?

Under the Sound Futures Fund—State and local government, non-profit organizations, for-profit entities, educational institutions, and interstate entities or regional water pollution control agencies are eligible for funding.

Workshops

The Sound Futures Fund Request for Proposals (RFP) has been extensively revised. We recommend you register for online workshops to understand the changes in priorities and available funding.

Application

The Request For Proposals (RFP) contains the guidelines needed to submit a proposal, as well as deadlines.

Questions?

For more information please contact Lynn Dwyer at 631-627-3488 or email Lynn at lynn.dwyer@nfwf.org or John at john.wright@nfwf.org.