The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. EPA announced $9.6 million in grants to support the restoration and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The 11 grants will utilize more than $28 million in matching contributions to generate a total conservation impact of nearly $38 million, reported National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The 11 grants announced will support innovative approaches to: reduce pollution to local rivers and streams; restore habitats; and improve rural and urban communities in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
“EPA is pleased to invest in partnerships and projects that improve the quality of local waters and habitat and help restore the Chesapeake Bay,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Acting Regional Administrator Diana Esher in the NFWF press release. “It is a priority for EPA to support local actions that move us closer to our restoration goals. We appreciate the forward-thinking ideas reflected in these projects.”
The grants were awarded through the Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grant Program (INSR Program), which is under NFWF’s Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF).
“The grants announced today will accelerate the efforts of dozens of partners working together to implement on-the-ground improvements that benefit the Chesapeake Bay, its remarkable wildlife, and local communities across the bay’s 64,000-square-mile watershed,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF in the NFWF press release. “These grants demonstrate the essential role of partnerships and collaboration in providing resources for local restoration efforts that are critical to the future health of the Bay.”
According to the NFWF press release, some of the INSR grant recipients include:
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources ($1 million);
- Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority ($848,440);
- And Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake ($882,750).
A complete list of the 2021 Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction grants recipients is available here.
