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While wetland restoration projects are not the first thing one might associate with the activities of an electric utility company, protecting the natural environment in National Grid’s service territory is an important part of the business.

“What many don’t know is that the utility industry probably controls more land, aside from the forest products industry, than any other non-governmental entity – much of it wetlands,” said Scott Shupe, senior environmental engineer, Syracuse, N.Y., and chairperson of the 30-member New York-Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership (NYCWRP). “We want to be proactive in our efforts to preserve and mitigate changes to the environment due to construction or other changes as a result of our work.”

As a member of the national Coastal America partnership, National Grid is working with the NYCWRP on the first two projects to improve the Cayuga Lake watershed, which covers 800 square miles of land, including 49 villages, towns and cities in seven counties.

“One project is at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge where a plan is being developed to restore what amounts to a ‘cattail desert’ immediately adjacent to the refuge’s main pool,” said Shupe. “We’re providing technical expertise, permitting and design work for this project. We’re also working with them to establish a new rest area on the New York State Thruway with educational kiosks.”

The second Cayuga Lake watershed project involves the restoration of wetlands at Canoga Marsh on the northwest shore of Cayuga Lake where a unique wetland habitat will be developed to stop existing erosion problems and reduce contaminants from road runoff from reaching the lower area of the marsh and lake.

In New England, the company participates in both the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnerships (CWRP).

“Within our own property, we have an old street car generation facility that was owned by Massachusetts Electric on the Blackstone River in Millbury,” said Joe Kwasnik, vice president of Environmental. “On the property was an abandoned dam that had mostly washed away. We funded studies to look at removal of the dam. This is something we routinely do – we evaluate the dams we own and ensure they are safe.”

The company was recognized with the Project Contributor award from the Massachusetts CWRP for its leadership and environmental stewardship on the Millbury Dam Project, in addition to the Great Marsh Planning Study and the Charles River Fish Passage Repairs in Massachusetts.

“Ultimately, in all of the work we do,” said Shupe, “we want to do things that will improve quality of life. Within three hours of Syracuse there are many marvelous natural resources. We need to protect and preserve their integrity.