Cape & Islands News

Gay Head Wampanoags receive three EPA grants

Money supports fishing, environmental projects
Agency distributes 14 grants throughout New England

The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) on Martha's Vineyard has received three grants totaling $72,300 from the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The tribe, one of two federally recognized Indian tribes in Massachusetts (the other is the Mashpee Wampanoag) was awarded $25,000 a lead-free fishing outreach project; $33,000 for an environment and natural resources outreach kiosk; and $14,330 for a hazardous materials and multi-casualty incident training project.

The three projects are among 14 in New England that were awarded EPA funds. All told, the agency awarded more than $380,000 to fund projects working to reduce environmental risk, protect and improve human health, and improve the quality of life for communities across New England.

The grants are part of EPA's 2008 Healthy Communities Grant Program.

Of the three grants, the lead-free fishing project is designed to provide education, outreach and compliance assistance activities to raise awareness of lead-free alternatives to traditional fishing weights reaching at least 3,000 individuals through local tackle shops, and through high visibility events including the Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby.

The second project will create an interactive, educational kiosk which will provide local residents and visitors to tribal lands an understanding of environment and public health issues, current projects to protect and restore natural resources, compliance assistance efforts, and information on the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head.

The third grant will pay for work to coordinate an Island-wide, multi-agency training, response activity, and a table top demonstration of a hazardous materials scenario on or near tribal lands.

The project is designed to allow agencies, emergency responders and the tribe to develop an effective response protocol which protects ecological and tribal health.

"Especially in these tough economic times, EPA is very proud to be able to help out local programs that are helping to improve peoples' health and our environment," said Robert Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "Working together, we're making great progress for a cleaner environment and healthier communities."