Quinnipiac River Fund Makes Significant Contribution for Protection and Research of the Quinnipiac River in Connecticut
More than $100,000 distributed from for projects that teach physical well-being through safe consumption of fish, measure and reduce pollution along and in the River and improve public access
Public invited to special reception of photo exhibit about the threats to/beauty of the River - Capitol Building (Hartford), Tuesday, April 20 between 12 pm– 2 pm
New Haven, CT (April 12, 2010) – The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is pleased to announce that $109,940 has been awarded from the Quinnipiac River Fund among 12 organizations for programs that reduce river pollution, support the environment and educate others about the Quinnipiac River in Connecticut. The River flows from west of New Britain southward to Plainville, Southington, west of Meriden, Cheshire, through Wallingford, Yalesville, North Haven and into New Haven Harbor.
One grant recipient, Catalyst Studios, received a second year of funding to continue Consider the Quinnipiac, a photography exhibit featuring 150 photographs of the 38-mile River. The exhibit will be featured in the South Lobby of the Capitol Building in Hartford from April 16 – 30; the public is invited to attend a special reception on Tuesday, April 20 from 12 pm – 2 pm with Fund committee members who will answer questions about the Fund, its activity and the River. For more information about the display in Hartford, email info@considerthequinnipiac.com.
The Quinnipiac River holds an historic place in Connecticut’s history as the subject of the first pollution control measure in the state. Contamination of the River, occurring from the discharge of raw sewage from the City of Meriden, led to legislation in the late 1800s barring such discharge and ultimately led to the construction of the state's first sewage treatment plant.
Over the years, various measures were taken to reduce pollution of the River and in 1990, the Quinnipiac River Fund was established by a court settlement of litigation between the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, the Natural Resource Defense Council and the Upjohn Company concerning wastewater discharges from Upjohn's plant in North Haven. The parties agreed that The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven would be the vehicle for the Fund to improve the environmental quality of watersheds in the Quinnipiac River and New Haven Harbor.
2010 Grants Recipients:
Catalyst Studios: $8,000 – To support the continuation of the ‘Consider the Quinnipiac’ pictorial exhibit tour at the State Capital and at three additional sites including the towns of Wallingford and Cheshire’s libraries.
Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice: $13,000 – To educate fishers on the safe consumption of fish from the Quinnipiac River and to work with the State Department of Environmental Protection to ensure fish signage is posted in fishing areas in common languages such as English, Spanish, Chinese, Kmer, Lao and Vietnamese.
Land Use Leadership Alliance (LULA): $7,500 – To support a two-day training program for local land use leaders to educate them on the scope of their jurisdiction, the flexibility they have under the law, tools for natural resource and watershed protection and collaborative techniques including consensus building, facilitated decision-making, community participation and effective meetings management.
North Haven Trail Association: $1,500 – To support wetland mapping and surveying services which are critical components to acquiring easements from private property owners along the proposed trail route on the eastern banks of the Quinnipiac River in North Haven.
Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut: $5,000 – To support homeowner workshops and outreach and to initiate data analysis and focus group research to design a program to best serve homeowners who want organic land care for their properties.
Quinnipiac River Watershed Association: $16,000 – To support The Friends of the Quinnipiac Project to remedy the effects of poor land use practiced by managers and owners of riparian properties through outreach, education, training, public recognition and technical assistance.
Quinnipiac University: $5,000 – To support a study to characterize the fate of benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) in the watershed areas of the Quinnipiac and Mill Rivers which empty into Long Island Sound in an effort to study the fate of BBP on the behavior of aquatic organisms.
University of New Haven, Dept. of Biology: $11,900 – To support the assessment of the condition of macrofaunal communities in New Haven Harbor relative to selected environmental factors and the structure of the Harbor's benthic habitats. A comparison of the results will be made to available previous information to assess any long-term changes.
Watershed Partnership Inc.: $16,000 – To continue support for the Safe Grounds Campaign to reduce non-point pollution from lawn pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in the Quinnipiac River watershed.
Yale University Grant & Contract Administration: $10,000 – To support the first phase of a riparian buffer research project designed as a public waterfront demonstration park.
Yale University - Grant & Contract Administration: $8,244 – To support investigations into the causes and implications of marsh drowning in the Quinnipiac River.
Yale University - Grant & Contract Administration: $7,796 – To support the measurement of copper concentration and bioavailability throughout the Quinnipiac River system and its tributaries.
Since 1928, donors to The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven have built the community's endowment currently valued at more than $280 million. In 2009, The Foundation’s Board of Directors distributed more than $14 million in grants from over 700 different named charitable funds supporting a wide range of programs and projects. For more information about The Community Foundation visit www.cfgnh.org.