EPA’s Southeast New England Program Announces $2.3 Million to Support Vital Environmental Restoration in Rhode Island
Contact: Tom Ardito, Restore America’s Estuaries
Director, SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants
tardito@estuaries.org 401-575-6109
Cranston, RI —On Wednesday, October 14, the Southeast New England Program (SNEP) will be joined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Senator Jack Reed, U.S. Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins and additional state and local partners to announce $2.3 million in grants and technical assistance for local organizations working on high priority environmental projects. EPA’s SNEP program works to restore clean water, healthy ecosystems, and sustainable communities in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.
The event will highlight six Rhode Island organizations receiving a total of $1.2 million for large-scale environmental restoration projects through SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants, and 11 Rhode Island organizations receiving a total of $78,000 for work in coastal and watershed stewardship through SNEP Restoration Capital Mini-Grants. Both grant programs are funded by EPA New England and administered through a partnership with Restore America’s Estuaries, a national non-profit organization.
In addition to the grants, the SNEP Network, managed by the New England Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maine, will announce eight new technical assistance partnerships with Rhode Island communities to reduce water pollution and conserve coastal ecosystems.
Event Speakers:
• Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins
• U.S. Senator Jack Reed
• U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner
• U.S. Representative Gabe Amo
• Regina Lyons, Deputy Director, Water Division, EPA Region 1
• Terrence Gray, P.E., Director, RI Dept. of Environmental Management
• Darcy Young, Executive Director, Narragansett Bay Estuary Program
• Topher Hamblett, Executive Director, Save The Bay
• John Torgan, State Director, The Nature Conservancy Rhode Island
• Alex Gulachenski, Senior Program Manager, SNEP Network, New England Environmental Finance Center
• Tom Ardito, Director, SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants, Restore America’s Estuaries
Following the announcements, the RI Dept. of Environmental Management will lead a public tour of the Pawtuxet Depot Floodplain Restoration Project in Cranston. The project will restore forest and wetland in a formerly developed area that was devastated by flooding on the Pawtuxet River in 2010, and will improve public access to the river by providing a new canoe launch, fishing area and walking trails. River flooding is a significant problem along the Pawtuxet as elsewhere in Rhode Island, and floodplain restoration projects such as this can reduce flooding impacts while restoring clean water, natural habitat and public access to the river. The project is the recipient of a $250,000 grant from SNEP this year.
The work in Cranston is just one example of SNEP’s support for clean water, healthy ecosystems, and thriving communities throughout Southeast New England. Since 2012, SNEP has provided $70 million in funding and technical assistance to help municipalities, non-profit organizations, state and tribal governments, and other organizations accomplish these goals. By funding partnerships, promoting information-sharing, and helping to develop new technologies, SNEP is building capacity for better management of the regional environment while providing on-the-ground benefits for communities and ecosystems.
SNEP events are free and open to the public; all are welcome.
“I created the Southeast New England Program to protect and improve the health of Narragansett Bay and other tributaries and watersheds throughout Rhode Island. Through SNEP, more than $70 million in federal investments have flowed to locally-driven, community-based projects that deliver real results, like environmental benefits, economic development opportunities, and better quality-of-life for all Rhode Islanders,” said Senator Jack Reed, a leading member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the author of the SNEP Authorization Act, which would formally codify the SNEP grant program. “As we welcome this $2.3 million in new SNEP funding for projects across our region, we also recommit ourselves to the work ahead advancing climate resilience, improving water quality, and expanding public access to our coastlines and rivers.”
“Cranston knows firsthand the importance of protecting our waterways and addressing the challenges of flooding,” said Cranston Mayor Kenneth J. Hopkins. “We appreciate the continued support of our state and federal partners in helping communities like ours advance environmental restoration, protect our natural resources, and create more opportunities for residents to enjoy the outdoors.”
“Rhode Islanders deserve clean water and to be kept them safe from extreme weather,” said Congressman Seth Magaziner. “I will keep fighting to fund the EPA’s Southeast New England Program to make Rhode Island cleaner and more resilient for generations to come.”
“From restoring a Blackstone River tributary in Cumberland to creating a new green infrastructure park in Pawtucket, this funding will support water quality, improve ecological health, and preserve habitats across the state,” said Congressman Gabe Amo. “I’m proud to work with Senator Reed and our federal delegation to deliver funding that will ensure a healthier, more sustainable future for Rhode Island’s waters.”
“Today’s announcement of EPA’s SNEP funding of $1.2 million helps communities reduce water pollution, conserve coastal ecosystems and support local economies around Rhode Island,” said EPA Regional Administrator Mark Sanborn. “The partnerships highlighted today continue to produce real and tangible results across Southeast New England.”
“Thanks to continued support from EPA’s Southeast New England Program, the SNEP Network will support 18 new projects this coming year. Since 2019, local partners have provided free assistance to communities and tribes on over 60 projects that resulted in enhanced local capacity to move projects toward funding and implementation, a uniform regional level of practice, and better water quality in the region” said Martha Sheils, Director of the New England Environmental Finance Center and the SNEP Network. “A particular area of focus this year is our new Watershed Protection Standard tool that guides community development in a way that maintains pre-development levels of water recharge and prevents increases in stormwater runoff and pollution.”
For a full list of 2026 SWIG grants (10 grants, $2.1 M), 2026 SNEP Restoration Capital Mini-Grants (26 grants, $212,000), and 2026 SNEP Network Partnerships (18 partnerships), please visit the Restore America’s Estuaries SNEP Page.
For more on EPA’s Southeast New England Program, see www.epa.gov/snep
For more about SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants, see www.snepgrants.org
For more on the SNEP Network, see www.snepnetwork.org
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