Photo by Brea White for The Lafayette
The grants are expected to both protect wildlife habitats and provide recreational access.
The Delaware River watershed, which includes Easton and surrounding cities, will receive nearly $30 million in funding for fish and wildlife conservation, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced Feb. 4.
Of that total, $12.5 million comes from the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, an Obama-era grant program, with the other $16.8 million provided through matching funds.
The grants are expected to result “in strategic conservation to restore fish and wildlife habitats, improve water quality, build community readiness and resilience to natural disasters, and enhance public access to recreational opportunities,” per the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s news release.
Rachel Carr, founder of Easton’s Nurture Nature Center, a downtown community science education center, and a Lafayette College visiting professor, highlighted the importance of habitat grants.
“Easton sits at the convergence of the Delaware and the Lehigh Valley River, and it is our obligation to continue the legacy of the health of those waterways,” Carr said, adding that the river provides a rich ecosystem for various habitats.
Carr called for eroded beach lines to be “shored up” by riparian buffers, or thin strips of vegetation near shorelines.
A 2025 American Fisheries Society report revealed that conservation projects can be economic drivers. Investments in fish and wildlife conservation support over half a million jobs and generate billions in economic activity, according to the report.
Olivia Bamford ‘24, a grant administrator with the city of Easton, stressed the importance of taking advantage of long-term grants such as the Delaware River funding.
“I usually don’t get a response, positive or negative, until at least six months,” Bamford said of her work applying for grants. “These things take time.”
Robert Christopher, Easton’s conservation manager, declined to comment on specific questions.