USM tapped to help clean up coastline in southeastern New England

Courtesy / Save the Bay USM will provide technical assistance for coastal restoration in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including the entrance to the Taunton River, above.

Write a Comment

By Staff

The University of Southern Maine will receive a $1.75 million grant to help clean up the coastline in another part of New England.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded USM the grant to establish and operate a technical assistance network for the agency’s Southeast New England Program for Coastal Watershed Restoration, according to a news release Friday.

The program, established in 2014, works with a variety of public and private organizations to preserve and restore coastal watersheds, improve coastal water quality and protect coastal ecosystems for the region between Westerly, R.I., and Chatham, Mass.

The technical assistance network will help local groups in the region prepare environmental financing and plan stormwater management strategies to help alleviate flooding, restore natural habitats and enhance resiliency from storms. The network will work one-on-one with municipalities and tribes in the region, and will also help foster communication among the organizations, according to the release.

In establishing the network, USM will draw on the New England Environmental Finance Center, which is part of the university's Portland-based Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service.

“This is an important milestone for EPA’s Southeast New England Program,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator Dennis Deziel. “Establishing this technical network will fill a significant need, helping communities, tribes and local organizations build and enhance their abilities to manage their programs in ways that produce multiple environmental and fiscal benefits.”