| "The program supports itself entirely." | |
| Kate Hughes, Office of Long Island Sound Programs |
|
Thousands of cars in Connecticut are sporting specialty license plates that not only promote the preservation of the state's Long Island Sound, but also have raised more than $3.4 million for coast-enhancing projects. Coastal resource managers in the state say the license plates have become a significant component of their program.
"It's gone beyond our wildest expectations," says Charlie Evans, director of the Office of Long Island Sound Programs. "It's really just done wonders for increasing the visibility of the Long Island Sound and the importance of the issue." He notes that the license plate program has helped fund more than 160 projects that have "added considerably to our overall coastal management efforts" that otherwise would have gone unfunded. "It's become a critical component of our overall coastal program."
Legislation modeled after the Chesapeake Bay program in Maryland established the Long Island Sound License Plate Program in 1992 as the first special-interest license plate in the state. Funds from the sale of the plates are distributed through a competitive grants process. Since its creation, Evans says more than 98,000 plates have been sold. The fund also receives private donations and a percentage of purchases from the People's Bank Preserve the Sound credit card.
A staff position was created to manage the self-funding program, explains Kate Hughes, Long Island Sound Fund coordinator. "The fund supports all the projects, promotions, and programs, including the staffing. No federal or state funds from the budget are used. The program supports itself entirely."
Depending on whether an "off-the-shelf" or vanity plate is bought, a one-time charge of $35 to $50 goes into the Long Island Sound Fund. Municipalities, schools, environmental groups, and other nonprofit organizations make grant applications for education, restoration, access, or research projects that will benefit the sound. Hughes says a 15-member advisory committee reviews the applications and makes recommendations for funding to the Department of Environmental Protection, which distributes the money through its Office of Long Island Sound Programs.
Evans notes the types of projects that are funded through the grants process are "innovative" and will "hopefully continue on and have lasting benefits without requiring annual grant awards. This program is designed to provide more of a seed money."
Examples of projects that have been funded include a national award-winning video on the sound for elementary school students; creation and distribution of a state Coastal Public Access Guide; construction of a fishway over a dam to restore anadromous fish passage; and a study to identify and map critical shorebird habitats along Connecticut's coast and to establish a citizen's monitoring network.
Hughes says they have "found the best way to promote the program has been through the publicity generated by the completed projects. That often involves ribbon cutting ceremonies and press releases, which are time consuming, but definitely important and worthwhile."
"This has been a popular way of raising funds for the sound without having anything to do with additional taxes or state revenue enhancements," Evans says. "It really has caught fire and been a very popular program here."
For more information about the Long Island Sound License Plate Program, point your browser to http://dep.state.ct.us/olisp/licplate/licplate.htm. You may also contact Kate Hughes at (860) 424-3652 or kate.hughes@po.state.ct.us.
