00A01523

**Description:** The purpose of this agreement is to provide assistance to New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission to implement its project to support the Long Island Sound Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan to protect and restore Long Island Sound by providing coordination/technical assistance in the following key areas:

(1) Outreach and education coordination;

(2) Program management and participant support;

(3) New York State habitat restoration and stewardship coordinator;

(4) New York State regional coordination;

(5) Science coordination;

(6) Long Island Sound nitrogen reduction coordination;

(7) Long Island Sound nutrient bioextraction coordination.

**Activities:** Specifically, under this cooperative agreement the recipient will:

(1) Assist with the development, coordination, and implementation of watershed-wide public involvement, education, outreach, and communication activities for Long Island Sound Study.

(2) Support logistics coordination (meeting facilities, catering, etc.) for in-person meetings of the Long Island Sound Study Management Conference and Citizen Advisory Committee and process participant support requests (provided via reimbursement) to Citizen Advisory Committee and Management Conference members, Connecticut and New York State staff and other Long Island Sound Study partners to attend programmatic meetings, National Estuary Program meetings and other relevant meetings;

(3) Position will facilitate and conduct activities associated with the Long Island Sound Study Habitat Restoration Initiative including preparing and evaluating project applications for habitat restoration, assessment, monitoring, and research funding; develop partnerships to restore LIS habitats and promote stewardship (public access, land acquisition, land management); work with regional staff to help partners prepare project workplans that are compatible with state regulations; and assist New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) with activities associated with the Habitat Restoration and Stewardship Workgroup. Initiate and develop a long-term targeted and large-scale eelgrass seed dispersal restoration initiative.

(4) Supplement and increase NYSDEC Division of Water (DOW) participation and involvement in all aspects of Long Island Sound Study to advance program goals and objectives. The regional coordinator will assist in the planning and execution of activities and projects NYSDEC DOW participates in through Long Island Sound Study and will act in a coordinator capacity around water quality (specifically nitrogen reduction) and community sustainability/resilience.

(5) Position will: develop and maintain professional scientific and technical contacts among the Long Island Sound Study partners and local/regional/national/international scientific communities; manage the scientific resources of the Long Island Sound Study; and organize and conduct conferences, meetings, symposia, or other web-based discussions on topics of relevance or concern to the science of the Long Island Sound ecosystem;

(6) Organize and support the Long Island Sound Study nitrogen reduction coordination efforts; involve tributary state in management committee activities; schedule and facilitate calls; gather and summarize technical and policy information on topics related to various nitrogen reduction strategies and activities;

(7) Remove excess nitrogen through the cultivation and harvest of seaweed and shellfish; assess the efficacy of (and potential challenges involved in) advancing seaweed and shellfish aquaculture to remove excess nitrogen loads; review and report on literature and policies; provide recommendations to streamline the regulatory process; work with industry professionals to develop markets for and assess cultivation costs; and evaluate the overall economic viability of seaweed and shellfish bioextraction operations.

**Subrecipient:** Association of National Estuary Program Support ($4,

New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission

5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS

66.437 - Long Island Sound Program

EPA Region 1: Boston [EPA - RO]

Naugatuck Valley, Connecticut United States

County-Wide

EPA-CEP-01

Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 09/30/27 to 09/30/28 and the total obligations have increased 83% from $3,759,119 to $6,860,927.