$44.2M in Grants Boost Chesapeake Bay Restoration Efforts!

A total of 72 grants have been awarded through the Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants and Small Watershed Grants programs, according to NFWF. These initiatives play a vital role in the funding landscape of the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership.

Moreover, both grant programs back conservation initiatives that contribute to regional watershed recovery efforts. This includes projects that focus on cleaning up and restoring contaminated streams and rivers, as well as collaboratively protecting vital species and their habitats within the Chesapeake Bay.

“These grants expand upon NFWF’s long-standing commitment to conserving wildlife and habitats in the Chesapeake Bay watershed,” stated Jeff Trandahl, NFWF’s executive director and CEO.

“They leverage the experience, collaboration, and impact developed among both public and private partners since the initiation of the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund in 1999 with the EPA. The projects and partnerships supported through these grants will mobilize communities in voluntary conservation activities across the watershed, pushing us closer to achieving healthier waterways, thriving wildlife populations, and robust natural habitats.”

The grants announced on February 11 have a variety of objectives, such as:

• Restoring 75 miles of riparian forest buffers and implementing 45 miles of livestock exclusion measures

• Restoring 290 acres of wetland and marsh habitats
• Applying agricultural best management practices over 120,000 acres to enhance water quality, improve soil health, and increase farm profitability
• Managing stormwater runoff from more than 350 acres of developed land

This year’s grant recipients include organizations from Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and New York.

The Catoctin Land Trust, Maryland’s only land trust focused on protecting the woods and waters surrounding the Appalachian Trail, has received $595,269 to promote key habitat restoration and conservation priorities aligned with the Heart of Maryland Collaborative.

For additional details and information on other grant recipients, please visit the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund’s website.