Estimating Public Investments in Landscape Preservation and Water Quality Best Management Practices in the Delaware River Basin

The William Penn Foundation began its Watershed Protection Program in 2013, funding projects in constituency building, watershed-wide science and advocacy, and targeted watershed preservation and restoration projects. Total funding allocated for these projects is approximately $347 million over the eight-year period (2013-2020).

The William Penn Foundation has consistently encouraged other entities such as governments and nonprofit organizations to fund or collaboratively fund similar projects. As part of this effort, the Foundation sought to understand recent status and trends regarding governmental budget allocations and expenditures for the protection and restoration of lands in the Basin, and for the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) to improve water quality, including specifically stormwater BMPs. This report represents the first project-level compilation of public funding expenditures attempted in the Delaware Basin.