EPA Announces $4.2M in Federal Grants for San Francisco Bay

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced $4.2 million in federal grants to local, regional, and national entities for projects to restore wetlands, improve water quality and “green” the urban landscape in and around San Francisco Bay.   

“Protecting San Francisco Bay is a top priority for EPA,” said Tomás Torres, EPA’s Water Division Director for the Pacific Southwest.

“The impact of these projects will go beyond the bay, helping surrounding communities build resilience to the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise.” 

San Francisco Bay is a designated “estuary of national significance” under the Clean Water Act.

The bay and its tributary streams, situated in an urban area with more than seven million people, provide crucial fish and wildlife habitat at the heart of the larger Bay-Delta Estuary.

EPA awarded its 2016 San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund grants for the following projects:

• The San Francisco Estuary Partnership received $1,667,683 for watershed redesign, tidal wetlands restoration and urban greening efforts;
• Ducks Unlimited received $1,677,683 for wetlands restoration in Mountain View, as part of the larger South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project;
• The City of San Pablo received $864,634 to address water quality issues through green infrastructure and community education.