Led by EPA Region 1, the Southeast New England Program (SNEP) is a geographically based program intended to serve as a collaborative framework for advancing ecosystem and community resiliency, protecting, and restoring water quality, habitat, and ecosystem function, and developing and applying innovative policy, science, and technology to environmental management. The program was created to help communities, Tribes, municipalities, government agencies and private organizations improve ecosystem health and build resilience to the unique water quality, habitat and climate stressors faced within southeast coastal New England watersheds, recognizing that the regions economy and community health are vulnerable and directly tied to the health of its ecological systems.The Mission of the SOAR Fund is to improve and support the resilience of disadvantaged communities throughout the SNEP region with meaningful community involvement as it relates to the design and implementation of projects to address the anticipated effects of climate change and the historic, long-term impacts of environmental and social injustices. Through this initiative, SNEP plans to fund a host of planning, implementation, outreach, training, capacity, and staff-building projects that correspond with the goals, objectives and priorities outlined in SNEPs Five-Year Strategic Plan.