The Peru Gazette

News Release of Dec. 23, 2025 – Grand Isle, VT – The Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP), in partnership with NEIWPCC, seeks projects that will restore stream connectivity and remove barriers to aquatic organism passage.

The intent of this opportunity is to remove barriers to aquatic organism passage and restore stream connectivity, adding high-quality habitat, connecting cold-water stream networks, and enhancing the natural ecosystem function of river systems.

This funding may support all phases of culvert replacement or dam removal projects, including outreach, project screening, feasibility analyses, engineering designs, permitting, construction, site restoration, monitoring, and maintenance.

“Reconnecting streams is a vital part of our work to protect habitat in the Lake Champlain Basin,” said Dr. Eric Howe, NEIWPCC Program Director of the Lake Champlain Basin Program. “By replacing culverts and removing dams, we are simultaneously ensuring that fish and other species can move freely, and that our communities will be more resilient in the face of changing weather patterns.”

Up to $2.5 million is available to support awarded projects. Grants of up to $500,000 will be awarded. Two proposals may be submitted per eligible organization.

The awarded grants will support projects that advance the goals of the long-term Lake Champlain management plan Opportunities for Action (plan.lcbp.org). This grant opportunity is supported by funds awarded to Lake Champlain by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Proposals are due at 5:00 PM EST on February 13, 2026. An informational webinar will be offered on January 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM (join here). Awarded projects are targeted to begin work in late summer 2026 and must be completed by December 2029. More information, including grant guidelines and applications, is available on the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s website at lcbp.org/grants.