EPA’s Southeast New England Program (SNEP) to Announce $2.3 Million for Environmental Restoration in Massachussetts
Public Event: Wed., Oct. 28, 10:30 a.m.
Cape Cod Hospital, Mugar Building, Lorusso Boardroom
For GPS use 70 Bayview Street, West Yarmouth, MA 02673.
Mugar Building entrance is across the street from this address
Contact: Tom Ardito, Director, SNEP Watershed Implementation Grants
Restore America’s Estuaries
tardito@estuaries.org 401-575-6109
Hyannis, MA —On Wednesday, October 28, Congressman Bill Keating will be joined by federal, state and local partners to announce $2.3 million in grants and technical assistance for local organizations working on high-priority environmental projects, provided through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Southeast New England Program (SNEP). SNEP, funded by Congress and managed by the EPA, works to restore clean water, healthy ecosystems, and sustainable communities in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts.
The event will highlight Massachusetts organizations receiving more than $1 million in 2026 SNEP grants, including:
- $250,000 to the Cape Cod Conservation District for ecological restoration of Bayview Bogs, a network of former cranberry bogs on the grounds of Cape Cod Hospital. The project, a partnership with the hospital, will restore wildlife habitat, clean water and wetland health.
- $150,000 to the Town of Rehoboth to install stormwater management measures at Beckwith Middle School. The project will help restore clean water to the Palmer River while providing STEM educational opportunities for students at the school.
- $250,000 to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission in partnership with Roger Williams University, to install an innovative Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) to help restore clean water in Lagoon Pond; and
- $242,000 to the Trustees of Reservations to continue salt marsh and barrier beach restoration at Chappaquiddick, also on Martha’s Vineyard.
In addition, we’ll highlight 16 Massachusetts organizations receiving SNEP Restoration Capital Mini-Grants. SNEP Mini-Grants award up to $10,000 for the purchase of supplies and equipment for use in environmental stewardship and ecological restoration.
In addition to the grants, the SNEP Network, managed by the New England Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maine, will announce 10 new technical assistance partnerships with Massachusetts organizations.
Event Speakers (confirmed):
• Michael K. Lauf, President and CEO, Cape Cod Healthcare
• Congressman Bill Keating
• John Milligan, Chief of Staff, EPA Region 1
• Brian Harrington, Regional Director, Southeast Region, MassDEP
• Beth Lambert, Director, Mass. Division of Ecological Restoration
• Daniel Hayden, President & CEO, Restore America’s Estuaries
• 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 public will have an opportunity to meet the recipients and learn about their work through displays and conversation.
At noon, the Cape Cod Conservation District will lead a public tour of the Bayview Bogs Ecological Restoration Project. The project, a partnership with Cape Cod Hospital, will restore a former cranberry bog for wildlife habitat, clean water and ecological health, funded in part by a $250,000 grant from SNEP.
SNEP supports clean water, healthy ecosystems, and thriving communities throughout Southeast New England. Since 2012, SNEP has provided $72 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.
“The projects funded through this year’s SNEP grants continue to build on the $72 million the program has invested in improving the health and vitality of our coastal waterways over the last decade,” said Congressman Bill Keating. “On places like Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, pristine waterways are not just an environmental treasure—they are a vital driver for our local economy, supporting tourism, recreation, and commercial fisheries. The restoration and protection projects funded this year will reach far beyond their immediate communities, providing lasting benefits for our region’s oceans and economy for years to come. I am proud to have created this program, and I will continue to support funding for these critical projects in the future.”
“Massachusetts communities rely on clean water every day for work, life, and play,” said US Senator Ed Markey. “This funding will be transformative for our coastal ecosystems. I’m grateful for the partners who will bring these projects to life and enable these beaches, marshes, and bodies of water to be healthy and enjoyed for decades to come.”
“EPA’s SNEP program supports Cape Cod communities advancing practical, locally driven projects that improve water quality, and protect the region’s economic growth,” said EPA Regional Administrator Mark Sanborn. “By working side by side with local partners and making effective use of taxpayer money the Trump EPA is delivering lasting economic and environmental benefits across the Region.”
Beth Lambert, Director of the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) said, “We thank the Southeastern New England Program for its continued investment in ecological restoration and for its partnership with DER and other organizations that are dedicated to restoring and protecting habitats in Massachusetts. The newly announced funding for the Bayview Bogs Restoration, a DER Priority Project in Yarmouth, will support construction to restore retired cranberry farmland to natural wetlands, enhancing coastal resilience, habitat, water quality, and public open space. Through these types of collaborative efforts and SNEP’s sustained support for habitat restoration and other resilience building work, we continue to see the benefits of these partnerships through restored natural landscapes that support biodiversity and resilient communities.”
“Restore America’s Estuaries is proud to work alongside the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to advance locally driven restoration solutions,” said Daniel Hayden, President and CEO of Restore America’s Estuaries. “Since 2018, our partnership has led to healthier watersheds, more resilient communities, and lasting environmental and economic benefits throughout 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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