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Climate change coordinator, watershed monitoring in Tantramar among projects funded by NB’s Environmental Trust Fund

A brook with green bushes leading to a bridge.
Image of Joe Brook crossing under Mount View Road, from EOS Eco Energy Habitat Assessment 2021, a project previously funded by the New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund. This year, EOS will return to the Dorchester-Rockport area for water quality monitoring.
Erica Butler - CHMA - Sackville • NB | 29-05-2023
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The Province of New Brunswick has announced another year of project funding with its Environmental Trust Fund, and about $500,000 of the $8.6 million funding package will go towards 13 projects directly impacting the Tantramar region.

A large share of the funding—$190,000—will go to the Southeast Regional Services Commission for five different projects including mattress recycling, glass recycling, a re-use expo, waste education, and a program to help communities clean up illegal dump sites. Another large share will go to EOS Eco Energy, to help fund three ongoing projects: water quality monitoring in the Rockport-Dorchester area, a program to help residents with energy retrofits for their homes, and another to help people in the Chignecto area reduce their flood risk.

EOS is also involved in a fourth project in partnership with the town of Tantramar. The town will receive $35,000 in funding towards continuing its climate change coordinator position. Corporate services director Kieran Miller shared the news with council this week, and said they would see a motion come through as soon as the province sends a formal letter of offer.

“This is the Environmental Trust Fund that we’ve applied for for the past three years to fund the climate change coordinator position,” said Miller. “It’s a partnership between ourselves and EOS Eco Energy, and we pitched it as a two year pilot… We’ve been finding a lot of success with the position, so we went for a third year.”

Miller explained via email that Tantramar’s 2023 staffing structure and budget (decided by the province) actually included a position for Climate Change Coordinator, and the position will likely be included in the municipality’s 2024 budget, pending council approval. But this year, while funding is available, EOS Eco Energy will manage the position on behalf of the town, using the ETF grant.

Four other non-profit organizations will also have projects funded in Tantramar this year. The Sackville-based Community Forests International will get a $20,000 grant towards protecting, restoring and adapting Wabanaki-Acadian forests. The Nature Conservancy of Canada will receive a similar amount for its People and Peeps project based out of the Johnson’s Mills Shorebird Interpretive Centre off Dorchester Cape Road. The Tantramar Wetlands Centre based out of Tantramar Regional High will get $40,000 to put towards its education of students and teachers on the importance and biology of wetlands.

And finally, Fort Folly Habitat Recovery will receive $30,000 to put towards restoration and monitoring of Petitcodiac & Memramcook watersheds, as well as local watercourses near the Fort Folly community.

Click here for the full list of 2023-24 NB Environmental Trust Fund projects in pdf form.

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