In Brief

The EPA published its final Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-2026 EPA Strategic Plan to accompany the EPA's FY 2023 President’s Budget. The Strategic Plan provides a roadmap to achieve the EPA’s and the Biden-Harris administration’s environmental priorities over the next four years, which includes a new strategic goal focused solely on addressing climate change and an unprecedented goal to advance environmental justice and civil rights.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Canal Corporation announced a new comprehensive effort, including a rapid response plan, to combat the potential spread of the round goby, an aquatic invasive species, to the Lake Champlain Basin following the discovery of the fish in the Hudson River near Troy in July 2021.

A 3.7 mile stretch of the Lower Neponset River in Massachusetts has been added to the EPA’s Superfund National Priorities List.

Registration is now open for the 2022 Long Island Sound Research Conference, a biennial event that highlights the diverse research occurring in the Long Island Sound and its watershed. The conference is set for May 18 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and registration closes May 6.

The EPA issued a memorandum outlining a strategy for collaborative implementation of the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

A new episode of the Restoration Roundup podcast is available: "What is it like to be a landowner restoring a riparian forest?" The podcast is part of the Watershed Forestry Partnership, a project housed within University of Vermont Extension and Lake Champlain Sea Grant, with funding from with the Lake Champlain Basin Program in partnership with NEIWPCC.


The EPA announced availability of up to $1.6 million in funding to support tribal government efforts to establish or modify programs on environmental justice water and air quality issues.

New England's Healthy Communities Grant Program is accepting applications until May 9 that support the EPA's mission to reduce environmental risks, protect human health and improve the quality of life. Informational webinars will be held April 5 and 14.

The Lake Champlain Basin Program shared results of research on concentrations of legacy organic contaminants in Lake Champlain lake trout in their recent science blog post.

The Champlain Basin Education Initiative is hosting a day-long Educator Summit hosted by Fort Ticonderoga on May 5. Workshops will cover current events and issues, culture and history, and ecosystem monitoring and research.

New Sea Grant specialists in New York and Connecticut help expand the Long Island Sound Study’s basin-wide efforts to protect the communities, economy, and environment of Long Island Sound. 

The state of Maine is considering issuing more “do not eat” advisories for freshwater fish due to contamination from PFAs.