News  DER's 2020 Annual Report

DER's 2020 Annual Report, Restoration in Action for People and Nature, is now available. We are proud to share the accomplishments of DER and our partners over the last year.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit just as complex construction projects reached their mid-points, municipal culvert replacement grant applications were due, and DER was about to issue a Request for Responses for new Priority Projects. All at once, DER’s staff, municipal and nonprofit partners, and volunteers were grappling with what the epidemic might mean for them and their families in the coming year.

We could not foresee the unimaginable challenges that would be faced by people throughout the U.S. and the world. We knew, however, that DER’s projects bring benefits to communities that are important in both the near and long term. Healthier rivers and wetlands, improved access to nature, safer roads and bridges, job creation, and resilience to climate change are critical now and into the future.

DER and its municipal, state, federal, and nonprofit partners swung into action to ensure that important restoration projects were not jeopardized by the pandemic. As a result, all projects were able to continue under rigorous new safety protocols, with no major construction delays. In addition, DER leveraged over $13 million in new federal and other non-state funds during the pandemic. These investments support projects that restore habitat, improve public safety, spur economic recovery, and help communities adapt to climate change.

Read or download the full report for more information about our accomplishments in 2020.