Reed Will Tour Salt Marsh at John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge

NARRAGANSETT, RI – The project to restore an important salt marsh is just underway, according to Tim Mooney, of The Nature Conservancy. This afternoon, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed will take a first-hand look at the area.

"The project entails removing sand from the Narrow River and spreading it across 30 acres of the marsh, raising the elevation by six inches in order to make it more resilient to sea-level rise," Mooney said.

The innovative technique was used previously at Sachuest in Middletown.

Mooney said the goal is to improve habitat for wildlife and protect the coast from future storms.

Saturday, he noted, was the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, which battered the area.

"Senator Reed was instrumental in passage of the Disaster Relief Appropriation Act of 2013, which provided the financing needed for recovery efforts, and helped strengthen the Northeast coast to better withstand impacts from future storms," Mooney said. "In Rhode Island, the Fish and Wildlife Service was provided over $1.6 million to repair damages sustained on the National Wildlife Refuges, as well as $3.95 million to prepare against future storms. This funding has been used in part to support habitat restoration and resiliency work in the Narrow River on the Chafee Refuge, and improve the saltmarsh on the Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge in Middletown."

The Nature Conservancy is leading the project under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Mooney said. Karrie Schwaab, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Scott Comings, The Nature Conservancy, and Danni Goulet, Coastal Resources Management Council are expected to join Reed this afternoon.