FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bronx River Alliance Receives Federal Funding to Improve the Health of Long Island Sound and Benefit the South Bronx
Bronx, New York – May 17, 2024 – The Bronx River Alliance received a funding award in support of its sustainable community initiative promoting healthy watersheds and enhanced ecosystems throughout the Long Island Sound region.
An award ceremony was held at Concrete Plant Park in the Longwood section of the Bronx. The event was hosted by Restore America’s Estuaries, the Long Island Sound Study, and Region 2 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Speakers came together to highlight the significance of this collaborative effort and discuss the transformative potential of the funded projects.
Concrete Plant Park, situated at the convergence of the Bronx River and the Long Island Sound, will leverage funding from the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF) award to restore the habitat of the meadow in a low lying area of the park that has always flooded. The restoration project will introduce plants to the meadow that directly improve the water quality of the river by naturally filtering stormwater runoff. The project will include community stewardship and public tours to engage, educate, and build the next generation of advocates and stewards for the Long Island Sound. This biofilter will improve water quality in the Long Island Sound as well as in the parts of the river that run through Longwood, West Farms, and Soundview neighborhoods. The meadow benefits both the region and nearby neighborhoods because the Bronx River is part of the tidal estuary that flows upriver from the Long Island Sound until the Bronx Zoo. The meadow is expected to bring many more species of butterflies and migratory birds to the area.
This meadow restoration project will directly impact the following programs of the Bronx River Alliance:
- Ecology – expand native plantings through community engagement, education, and stewardship
- Environmental Education – school and community tours showcasing the improved and maintained green infrastructure and the Bronx River Foodway
- Recreation: increased understanding and appreciation of the ecology and habitat by participants of the free weekly community paddling that gets 1000+ youth and families out on the Bronx River
- Foodway: increased pollinators improve production of edible and medicinal plants, increased engagement, stewardship and leadership within the communities of the Bronx
“We are proud to receive a Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund award that prioritizes federal investments into communities like ours – investments in critical nature-based infrastructure solutions that also contribute to green workforce development opportunities and climate resilience.” said Siddhartha Sanchez, Executive Director of the Bronx River Alliance
“The Bronx River Alliance celebrates the receipt of federal funding aimed at revitalizing Long Island Sound and empowering South Bronx communities. Through innovative projects like the meadow restoration at Concrete Plant Park, the Alliance continues to lead efforts in ecological restoration and community engagement, ensuring a sustainable future for the Bronx River corridor. We extend our gratitude to Restore America’s Estuaries, the Long Island Sound Study, and Region 2 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their partnership and support.” said Kenny Burgos, Assemblymember for District 85
About the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund
Restore America’s Estuaries (RAE) announced 10 subawardees for the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF), which is a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Subawardees are listed on the LISCIF home page.
Projects were selected to address challenges facing environmental justice communities within the Long Island Sound estuary, managed under the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). LISCIF provided $1.5 million in the first round of funding. Restore America’s Estuaries selected 18 subawardees for this round of funding, 11 organizations are from New York and 7 organizations are located in Connecticut.
About the Bronx River Alliance
The Bronx River Alliance is a non-profit organization that serves as a coordinated voice for the Bronx River. We work in harmonious partnership to protect, improve and restore the Bronx River corridor so that it may be a healthy ecological, recreational, educational, and economic resource for the communities through which the river flows.
The Bronx River was once clean enough to be considered for the city’s water supply. However, over the course of a century, it was degraded by residential and industrial pollution to the point of being declared an “open sewer.” Several generations have launched restoration efforts for the river, but until the 1970’s they largely ignored the lower river, particularly in the South Bronx. In 2001, a band of passionate community leaders joined together to realize their vision of a Bronx River that would be a force for environmental reclamation and community development in the heart of the Bronx.
The river is a symbol of the Bronx itself – the restoration of the river coincides with the health of the borough. We have become a national model for urban open space development by engaging the community in cleaning up the polluted river, restoring wildlife and habitats, creating miles of greenway and parks and drawing thousands of people to paddle the river each year.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
Alyssa Perez
Communications and Development Assistant
Bronx River Alliance
(718) 542 – 4124 Ext.115
(929) 504 – 0054
alyssa.perez@bronxriver.org
