EEL Program Awarded $2.5 Million in Grant Funding

MELBOURNE, Florida - The Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program, Parks & Recreation Department was recently awarded several grants for land acquisition and management totaling over $2,569,000. The Florida Communities Trust Program, the State Bureau of Invasive Plant Management, The Nature Conservancy and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service have awarded the funding to support the acquisition of the Thousand Islands in Cocoa Beach, the management of non-native and invasive plant species on several EEL managed sites throughout the County, the acquisition and restoration of important conservation lands in north Brevard.

Since 1998, the EEL Program has received an additional $2.3 million in grant support for a variety of land management, passive recreation and environmental education projects. Funding sources have included the State of Florida Bureau of Invasive Plant Management, State Division of Historical Resources, State Department of Community Affairs, Keep Brevard Beautiful, Florida Inland Navigation District, Florida Coastal Management Program, and the Sea Turtle License Plate Fund.

Grant support has allowed the EEL Program to complete projects such as native plant restoration, exotic species control, trail development and enhancements, wetland restoration, and environmental education exhibits that would otherwise remain unfunded.

The EEL Program was approved by the voters of Brevard County, under two separate referendums in 1990 and 2004. The directives of the referendums are to protect and preserve the rich biological diversity of Brevard County for future generations, through responsible stewardship of our natural resources. Revenues generated under the two referendums as approved by the voters can only be used to fund the acquisition and management of environmentally sensitive lands in Brevard County. This source of funding may not be reallocated to other unrelated county projects.

“The EEL Program regularly pursues grant opportunities to support the long-term management of conservation lands and to enhance and expand opportunities for passive recreation and environmental education,” said Mike Knight, EEL Program Manager. 

For more information, volunteer opportunities, educational programs, and any other questions regarding the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program, please contact the EEL Program office at 321-255-4466 or see the EEL Program website at www.eelbrevard.com.

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