EPA Grant for Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund Management

This RFA to select an organization to manage the Long Island Sound Community Impact Fund (LISCIF) is key to meeting LISS’s EJ goals and to achieving the purposes of BIL. LISCIF is a new program being developed by LISS to meet the CCMP’s EJ goal by directing funds and technical assistance to communities experiencing or affected by adverse and disproportionate environmental and human health risks or harms, including affected underserved communities. EPA will provide funds to LISCIF annually to be used for awards under this competitive opportunity. EPA expects to provide up to $5 million to cover three years for the development of the competitive grant program, two rounds of pass-through funds in years two and three of the award, and the technical assistance and support program for underserved communities. Applicant activities and subaward projects funded under this RFA must be carried out within the LISS geographic region (see map in Appendix A) or, in the case outreach and education, include communities that use the Long Island Sound for recreation, sustenance, or economic activities. Applicant activities and subaward projects funded under this RFA must address common challenges and the priorities identified within the LISS boundaries (see LISS CCMP at www.longislandsoundstudy.net.)

Since the federal Clean Water Act became law in 1972, investments in water pollution control programs have led to measurable improvements in the water quality of Long Island Sound (the Sound). Obvious sources of pollution were controlled through permit programs. Tidal wetlands were protected, wastewater treatment plants improved, and industrial discharges controlled. However, to fully restore the health of the Sound, a cooperative effort focusing on the overall ecosystem was needed. As a result, EPA, New York, and Connecticut formed the Long Island Sound Study (LISS) in 1985, a bi-state partnership consisting of federal and state agencies, user groups, concerned organizations, and individuals dedicated to restoring and protecting the Sound. In 1994, the LISS developed a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) to protect and restore Long Island Sound. This plan was revised in 2015 with 20 ambitious ecosystem targets to drive further progress through 2035. The 2015 revision identified three underlying principles to integrate into all LISS efforts: 1) resiliency to climate change, 2) long-term sustainability, and 3) environmental justice. In 2020 LISS formalized the Environmental Justice Work Group (EJWG), which meets quarterly and includes a subgroup focused on outreach and engagement with underserved communities.