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Water Quality Contacts

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Water Quality Contacts & Project Partners

Your project may be more successful if you have partners. Partnering with other organizations, businesses, or government agencies may help you obtain funding, share expertise, create a better project plan, spread the workload, and ultimately have a more successful project.

Partners with experience may be able to advise you on which regional action plans you should consider aligning your project with. Often there are management plans that have been developed for an area and projects are expected to align with those plans to be considered fundable. These plans may be local, regional, state or interstate.

Coastal Restoration Flooding Government Permitting

Local Government Environmental Programs

These may be sponsored by your drainage or stormwater utility, public works department, natural resource agency, mayor’s office, or another local agency. Federal agencies typically only have the resources to assist in large projects, but may provide awards to your state or county

How to find your local government:

To find your local, state, or tribal governments, type the following into a search engine: your state/county and then the type of agency you are wanting to connect with (e.g., local government, tribal representative, state government). For example, search for “Alabama beach restoration permitting” or “New Jersey environmental protection.” Also try using terms that relate to your concern or solution. For example, “Florida coastal flooding help.”  Try different terms, or combinations of terms, such as “grants, restoration, invasive species, marsh, natural resources, volunteers, funding, etc.” It may take a few tries to find the site and information you are looking for.

To find a specific local county office, type the following into a search engine: your local county or city and then the department you are wanting to connect with (e.g., environmental, planning, natural resources). For example, search for  “Escambia County coastal management” or  “Destin FL natural resources.”

State Government Environmental Programs

State Environmental and Extension Programs

Are there programs to restore your local estuary or coastline? Are there initiatives to help threatened or endangered fish and wildlife? These programs sometimes have grant dollars.

Many states have the following departments, divisions, or commissions, which you can use as internet search terms:

  • Environment/Environmental Quality
  • Fish and Game/Game and Fish/Fish and Wildlife
  • Natural Resources
  • Conservation
  • Ecology
  • Marine Fisheries
  • Parks and Wildlife

Many of these organizations are listed as members of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Your state’s land-grant university may host a SeaGrant program or a Cooperative Extension Service related to agriculture, conservation.  Extension agents can direct you towards helpful resources for your project type.

Coastal Restoration Community & Environmental Partners Coastal Restoration Volunteers Unloading Kayaks

Community & Environmental Partners

Some may focus on local issues. Others may be local chapters of state or national organizations.

How to find environmental groups:

Restore America’s Estuaries is an alliance of 10 community-based conservation organizations focused on coastal restoration.

National Garden Clubs connects gardeners around the globe with inspiration, information, and resources.

TreePeople has involved more than 3 million people in planting and caring for more than 3 million trees in Los Angeles.

Friends of the Urban Forest has planted more than 60,000 trees, totaling almost half of San Francisco’s tree canopy.

The Arbor Day Foundation sells and gives away trees and works with partners to plant trees in communities.

Wikipedia lists environmental and conservation organizations in the United States.

Neighborhood organizations may be a resource for community outreach and volunteers.

Schools may be a source of volunteers.

Look for local businesses and business organizations that may have a stake in a cleaner environment.

Tribes and Indian Nations should be consulted about coastal restoration projects.

Tribal & Indian Nations

Tribes and Indian Nations should be consulted about their interests in the area of the project.

Potential Tribal Concerns & Resources:

Tribes and Indian Nations may have treaty rights that need to be observed and cultural resource concerns that apply to your project, especially if ground disturbance is involved in your project.

Tribes and Indian Nations often have resources that can help with your project. They often manage monitoring and research projects, and that information may be very helpful in the development of your project.

Contact the Tribe’s or Nation’s natural resource department early in the project. Click here for help finding recognized tribes and their leaders or here for help finding non-federally recognized tribes.

Water Quality Project Resources:

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