Five Star Urban Water Grants Awarded to California Water Projects

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. EPA announced grants to three California organizations, including Tejon Ranch Conservancy in Kern County, Save The Bay in Oakland and Trust for Public Land in Los Angeles. The funding will help restore wetlands, provide environmental stewardship and science education, and improve storm water management.

The Tejon Ranch Conservancy will receive $44,665 for the Sacatara Canyon Springs Restoration Project to restore 20 acres of wetland and desert habitat serving as migratory and breeding habitat for various birds, native amphibians and mammals. The project will engage local school districts, a local university, a citizen science group and a private landowner.

Save The Bay will receive $30,000 to restore and enhance 2.9 acres of wetlands in Oakland, Calif. The project will engage local community volunteers, provide environmental stewardship and science education to 1,000 students, and help ensure a clean and healthy San Francisco Bay and San Lorenzo Creek watershed.

The Trust for Public Land will receive $45,000 to engage residents in planning, implementing, and monitoring the Central-Jefferson and Quincy Jones Green Alleys Networks in South Los Angeles. The green alleys network improves community walkability and promotes storm water capture and infiltration to absorb runoff that would otherwise reach the Los Angeles River and Pacific Ocean. The project will improve storm water controls, water quality monitoring, and restoration of native habitat, and will increase local groundwater supplies and resilience to drought.

For more information about the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant program, visit EPA’s website.