The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced nearly $12.7 million in grants to support the restoration and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in six U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
The 47 grants will generate nearly $21 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $33.5 million.
The grants were awarded through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF), a partnership between NFWF and the EPA’s Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program (INSR Program) and Small Watershed Grants Program (SWG Program).
Additional support is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Altria Group Restoring America’s Resources partnership.
Grant recipients were announced at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish and School in Essex, (Baltimore County) Maryland, where a 2017 Stewardship Fund grant to the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy supported installation of stormwater and green infrastructure improvements.
The projects supported by the 47 grants announced today will support methods to improve waterways, restore habitats and strengthen iconic species in Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
The funds will engage farmers and agricultural producers, homeowners, churches, businesses and municipalities in on-the-ground restoration that supports quality of life in their communities, improving local waterways and, ultimately, the health of the Bay.
The INSR Program awarded more than $6.7 million to seven projects, with recipients providing more than $12.4 million in match.
The program provides grants to accelerate the implementation of water quality improvements specifically through the collaborative and coordinated efforts of sustainable, regional-scale partnerships with a shared focus on water quality restoration and protection in local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.
The SWG Program awarded more than $5.9 million to 40 projects, with recipients providing more than $8.3 million in match. The program provides grants to organizations and municipal governments that are working to improve the condition of their local watershed through on-the-ground restoration, habitat conservation, and community involvement.
Grant recipients expect to reduce pollution through infrastructures including greener landscapes and community outreach initiatives that promote native landscaping and improved practices for managing runoff.
A complete list of the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund 2019 grants winners is available at: https://www.nfwf.org/chesapeake/Documents/2019grantslate.pdf
Since 2006, the INSR Program has provided more than $91.4 million to 183 projects that reduce the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Since 1999, the SWG Program has provided more than $62 million to support 885 projects in the region to protect and restore the natural resources of the Bay watershed.
For more information about the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund or to download the 2019 Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund Grant Slate, visit www.nfwf.org/chesapeake.
source: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
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