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GUILFORD, Conn. — More than half of Connecticut’s salt marshes have been lost after hundreds of years of human intervention, but there is a growing movement to restore these habitats for the future. The ���Ĵ�ý in Connecticut is prioritizing this work across the Long Island Sound and has just received a $460,917 grant from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to develop a restoration design plan for the Guilford Salt Meadows ���Ĵ�ý Sanctuary.

The Guilford Sanctuary is a vital segment of the East River Marsh, a brackish and salt tidal marsh currently found to have ~40% of its previously vegetated marsh area stressed, degraded, or lost. The restoration design plan will focus on restoring native vegetation and creating limited high marsh habitat to strengthen the marsh’s resiliency to sea level rise.

The local community will have the opportunity to participate as the design plan moves towards completion. Project partners will host two public meetings for community feedback, and students from Bridgeport, Stratford, and West Haven will be invited on field trips to the site where they will perform small-scale conservation work like invasive species control and data collection.

A highlight for ���Ĵ�ý is the opportunity to provide habitat for marsh birds experiencing population declines, like the Saltmarsh Sparrow. “Baseline point count surveys in 2025 detected only Clapper Rail and Marsh Wren at the Guilford Salt Meadows ���Ĵ�ý Sanctuary, but we expect the habitat to have the potential to support a suite of tidal marsh-dependent birds including the Saltmarsh Sparrow, Seaside Sparrow, and Willet,” said Corrie Folsom-O’Keefe, director of bird conservation for ���Ĵ�ý in Connecticut.

Restoring the Guilford section of the East River Marsh will also provide more natural sandy creeks for blue mussel, spawning Horseshoe Crabs, and potentially Eastern Oyster. The marsh is also an important fish run for Alewife and Sea Lamprey, and Northern Diamond-backed Terrapin are commonly observed throughout. Each of these species would benefit from the improved water quality and hydrology.

“The East River Marsh is one of the largest and most important salt marsh complexes in the state, providing essential benefits to wildlife and the surrounding community. ���Ĵ�ý is excited to work with our partners and local stakeholders to protect and restore this invaluable natural resource,” said Jack Matthias, coastal resilience manager for ���Ĵ�ý in Connecticut. 

“Projects like this advance our goal of protecting and improving the health of Long Island Sound and its watershed, which provide ecosystem, recreation, and economic benefits to Connecticut residents,” said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes. “DEEP looks forward to continuing to work with ���Ĵ�ý Connecticut on their important efforts to restore the health and resilience of the Guilford Salt Meadows ���Ĵ�ý Sanctuary for the benefit of communities and the many birds, fish, shellfish, turtles, and other wildlife that depend on it.”

Through their newly created Long Island Sound Ecosystems Grant Program, DEEP has awarded a total of over $7.8 million to eighteen Connecticut municipalities and non-profits focused on improving water quality, enhancing ecosystem resilience, and improving fish passage within the Long Island Sound watershed. This new DEEP program was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Long Island Sound Partnership National Estuary Program.

Media Contact: Sharon Bruce, sharon.bruce@audubon.org

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The ���Ĵ�ý is a leading nonprofit conservation organization with 120 years of science-based, community-driven impact, dedicated to protecting birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Birds are powerful indicators of our planet’s health, acting as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and inspire action. ���Ĵ�ý works across the Western Hemisphere, driven by the understanding that what is good for birds is good for the planet. Through a collaborative, bipartisan approach across habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, ���Ĵ�ý drives meaningful and lasting conservation outcomes. Learn more about our work locally at audubon.org/connecticut.