New England Wetlands Restoration Partnership Unveiled

January 24,2000

A new organization, the New England Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, has been formed to restore the region's wetlands. It will combine private industry contributions with federal and state matching funds to finance the projects.

The New England program seeks to expand a similar effort initiated in Massachusetts last year by The Gillette Company, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Like the Massachusetts program, the New England partnership will combine private industry contributions with governmental matching funds.

Fifteen corporations have pledged more than $750,000 in cash and in-kind services to the Massachusetts effort. The New England program will operate under the auspices of Coastal America, a federal organization representing more than 12 U.S. departments and agencies. Boston-based Gillett will be the corporate leader for the expanded regional program. Planning of specific restoration projects will begin later this year.

Other partnerships in the New England program include Duke Energy Corp. and Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline, L.L.C. in Maine and Duracell, a Gillette division, in Connecticut.