Press Release SPARK Grant Received to Advance Resiliency Efforts
Media Contact:
Aleighsa Wright
Outreach Specialist
(850) 770-2198
[email protected]
St. Andrew & St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program Awarded SPARK Grant to Advance Resiliency Efforts
PANAMA CITY, FL – January 21st, 2026
The St. Andrew and St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program (SASJBEP) has been awarded a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) grant to launch SPARK: Supportive Partnerships Advancing Resilience and Knowledge. This funding will support collaboration to advance nature-based and infrastructure projects across the St. Andrew Bay watershed.
SPARK will build upon The Nature Conservancy’s existing effort called Scaling Up Nature-Based Solutions (SUNS) to move projects closer to implementation through a coordinated effort with local partners such as Tyndall AFB, federal and state agencies, counties and cities, and NGOs. The goal is to increase the likelihood of securing additional funding for project implementation that will increase community resilience and address high priority needs across the watershed.
SASJBEP and partners, including The Nature Conservancy, Northwest Florida Water Management District, Emerald Coast Regional Council, and the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape, will work to:
- Identify at least 25 priority projects across the watershed through public workshops and partner coordination,
- Develop a minimum of 12 project profiles outlining project specifics and broad considerations to support future funding applications benefiting underserved communities,
- Advance feasibility, engineering, and permitting for high-priority projects,
- Conduct outreach and workshops engaging citizens across Bay and Gulf counties,
- Create online mapping tools highlighting SPARK project information and recreational opportunities throughout the watershed,
- Support the development and submission of grant proposals to help move projects toward implementation.
SPARK directly supports goals outlined in the SASJBEP Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan and the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape Implementation Plan, with a focus on collaboration, nature-based solutions, and community resilience.
This funding allows us to accelerate multiple projects further along the implementation path. Moving from concept to construction requires detailed engineering, permitting, and sustained coordination with partners, citizens, and regulatory agencies. SPARK provides resources needed to advance this work and ultimately improve the health and resilience of our natural resources.
– Dr. Jessica Graham, Executive Director, St. Andrew and St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program
For updates on SPARK and upcoming workshops, visit sasjbep.org.
About St. Andrew and St. Joseph Bays Estuary Program (SASJBEP):
Our Vision:
Healthy, resilient bays and estuarine habitats that support native species, natural systems, recreation, fisheries and the economy, together with vibrant, resilient, and sustainable communities in the watershed that live in harmony with the needs of the estuary.
Our Mission:
To collaborate—as representatives of private, public, and non-governmental stakeholders—to improve our common sense, science-based understanding of the needs of the estuary, and to develop, promote and implement projects that protect and restore the health of the bays.
