Recommended NOAA $12 million grant to improve wildlife habitats, strengthen communities’ resilience to coastal hazards

MOBILE, Ala. ( WKRG ) — The Nature Conservancy’s Gulf of Mexico Program was recommended to receive $12 million in funding for projects to improve wildlife habitats and strengthen communities’ resilience to coastal hazards.

According to a news release, the funding, which would come from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2023 Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grant Competition, would help the GulfCorps Resilience Collaborative to start a workforce of 150 young adults across the Gulf of Mexico.

The release noted that GRC would then work with the Gulf Coast communities on coastal nature-based solutions projects like building oyster reefs and restoring marshes.

Other projects include restoring coastal pitcher plant bogs and Longleaf pine forests, protecting and creating habitat for waterfowl and endangered species, and managing invasive plant and animal species that harm ecosystems.

“TNC is grateful to NOAA for recommending us for this important award. This grant allows TNC and our partners to deepen our work with local Gulf Coast communities, especially those impacted by severe storms,” TNC Southern U.S. Division Director Temperince Morgan said. “The GulfCorps program helps to build the next generation of conservation professionals and provides at-risk communities with the tools necessary to increase their resilience to the many coastal hazards experienced in the Gulf.”

If awarded, the NOAA funding would begin in the fall of 2024 and continue over four years.

“Key partners in these collaborative programs include NOAA, The Corps Network, Student
Conservation Association, The Ember Alliance, Franklin’s Promise Coalition, Inc., and
American YouthWorks,” the release said.

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