The Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program is pleased to announce nine grants and $200,000 in total funding, to restore and protect the Pensacola and Perdido Bay Watersheds. The Mini-Grant Program funds action projects that serve to restore, preserve, connect, inform and educate.
Through these action projects, the Estuary Program’s vision is to create a healthy and sustainable environment, economy, and community. The funding opportunity included eight eligible project categories that support the Estuary Program’s core vision: water quality, habitat restoration, fish and wildlife conservation, watershed awareness and education, resilience, invasive species, citizen science and aquatic trash/marine debris.
The program selected grant winners from a competitive pool of 27 proposals. The selected proposals will help restore and protect our waters, from improving community resilience to extreme events such as hurricanes, to supporting research efforts that will inform water quality improvements and wildlife conservation. A full list of projects can be found at
ppbep.org/mini-grant-program.
“I’m incredibly excited to announce the program’s first Mini-Grant Program projects that not only work to improve our environment, but also our quality of life,” Interim Executive Director Matt Posner said.
The Mini-Grant Program is made possible through the support of the Florida Legislature. The Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program was awarded $500,000 in legislative appropriations, $200,000 of which has been allocated to support the Mini-Grant Program. The Estuary Program offers their deepest appreciation to Representative Andrade and Senator Broxson for sponsoring the program’s legislative funding request.
“I was proud to bring home $500,000 to support the Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program this year. This funding will support water quality monitoring, public outreach, and the establishment of the Estuary Program’s first Mini-Grant Program, ensuring that we maintain and improve water quality for years to come. I want to thank Matt Posner and all those involved at Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program for working non-stop to protect our waterways for future generations,” Representative Alex Andrade said.
“This program will help continue the great work being done to restore and preserve Pensacola and Perdido Bays," said Senator Broxson. "I will continue to support this effort in Tallahassee.”
“We believe in local solutions for local issues. Our community understands the issues we face more than anyone else, so it makes sense to provide them with the necessary resources to make positive changes that benefit us all. The grant program does just that, allowing us to directly support the actions of our stakeholders and partners,” Posner said. “Our hope is to secure continued funding to establish a Mini-Grant Program for many years to come.”.
The Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program is a stakeholder-driven, science-based organized charged with restoring and preserving the Pensacola Bay System and Perdido Bay System, and their associated watersheds. PPBEP is guided by a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, which serves as a blueprint for the restoration and preservation of area waterways. Through these actions, PPBEP’s vision is to create a healthy and sustainable environment, economy, and community. The PPBEP is a coalition of local, state and federal stakeholders from Baldwin, Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties and the cities of Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Milton, Orange Beach and the Town of Century.
Join us to ensure fishable, swimmable waters for all. Dive in at
ppbep.org or follow us on
Facebook or Instagram at @ppbep_flal.
