A group of 16 bipartisan representatives from Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey today introduced legislation, H.R. 1772, to improve restoration and conservation efforts in the Delaware River Basin. Through competitive grants to incentivize public-private partnerships and improved coordination among stakeholders, the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act will improve habitats, protect water quality and mitigate flood damage.

Despite its estimated $25 billion economic impact on the region annually, Delaware River restoration efforts receive very limited federal resources compared to similar watersheds across the country. This legislation creates a Delaware River Restoration Program within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and authorizes a competitivegrant program and technical assistance to leverage federal resources available to the Basin.

Grant applications that demonstrate collaboration among organizations, universities, and governments will be more likely to receive funding. The federal share of the cost of a project can be no more than 50 percent, incentivizing applicants to seek out significant private investment to match the federal commitment. To read a summary of the bill, click here. To see the bill text, click here.

The Congressman announced this legislation at a press conference attended by several of the bill’s cosponsors and members of the advocacy community. Other speakers included National Wildlife Federation President and CEO Collin O’Mara (former Secretary of DNREC), Senior Advisor for Watershed Management and Policy at the Academy of Natural Sciences and former Executive Director of the Delaware River Basin Commission Carol Collier, and Delaware River Basin Coalition Director Kim Beidler.

The following members of Congress signed onto the bill as original co-sponsors:

Representative John Carney (D-DE)

Representative Chris Gibson (R-NY)

Representative Chaka Fattah (D-PA)

Representative Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA)

Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA)

Representative Charlie Dent (R-PA)

Representative Ryan Costello (R-PA)

Representative Brendan Boyle (D-PA)

Representative Pat Meehan (R-PA)

Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)

Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ)

Representative Donald Norcross (D-NJ)

Representative Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)

Representative Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ)

Representative Tom MacArthur (R-NJ)

Representative Bob Brady (D-PA)

“Since our state sits at the mouth of the Delaware River, we’re highly invested in the overall health of the Basin, which offers our region critical resources like drinking water and is home to a variety of wildlife,” said Congressman John Carney (D-DE). “Doing what we can to conserve and restore the Basin is not just the right thing to do environmentally -- it’s also good for the economy. This legislation will help government, nonprofit groups, and private industry work together to preserve the Delaware River Basin for future generations.”

In order to build support for the legislation, Congressman Carney is hosting a photo contest for constituents and advocates of the Basin. The Congressman is asking members of the public to submit photos capturing the importance of the Delaware River Basin to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.by May 4, 2015. The Congressman will display the winning photo on the floor of the House of Representatives as he urges his colleagues to bring this legislation to a vote. The Congressman’s office will be using #AllAboutThatBasin to drive support for the legislation and spread the word about the photo contest.

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