Overview
With funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (PA DEP’s) Coastal Resources Management Program provides grants to governments, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions for projects that improve water quality, enhance public enjoyment of and access to coastal resources, and mitigate the adverse impacts of stormwater runoff and nonpoint source pollution. DVRPC helps administer the program within the Delaware Estuary Coastal Zone. Eligible projects are reviewed by PA DEP program staff, the Delaware Estuary Coastal Zone Advisory Committee, and the State Coastal Zone Advisory Committee. Applications are evaluated based on criteria outlined in the Grant Application Instruction Guide.
Pennsylvania has 112 miles of coastline along the Delaware Estuary. Extending from Marcus Hook in Delaware County to Morrisville in Bucks County, the Delaware Estuary Coastal Zone contains islands, marshes, and shorelands of both the Delaware River and tributary streams that are tidally influenced.
Project Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Local governments – counties and municipalities
- Area-wide agencies – county and regional planning agencies
- State agencies
- Educational institutions – school districts, colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher learning
- Conservation districts, port authorities, and public authorities
- Incorporated nonprofit organizations, including 501(c)(3), that are eligible to receive federal grants
Where can projects be located?
All projects must be located within the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Boundary. Projects associated with earth disturbance must be located within the 306A boundary (see map above).
What activities are eligible?
- Research
- Acquisition and easements
- Design
- Construction
- Education
Note: Project design and construction are not funded in the same grant cycle.