NFWF: $3M to Improve Water Quality

The Chesapeake Bay Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) have announced the recipients of $3 million in grants for restoration, conservation and environmental outreach initiatives across the Maryland and the District of Columbia.

The 13 projects will leverage more than $3.8 million in matching funds to lower pollution and improve the health of rivers, streams and the Bay.

The funding for these projects was awarded through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, which is financed by the Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program and the Small Watershed Grants Program. Officials and guests announced the awards at the Prince George’s County Department of the Environment in Largo, MD, where a 2014 grant will support innovative green infrastructure practices.

“Through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, NFWF and our partners, especially the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, continue to invest in efforts in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and across the Bay watershed to accelerate ambitious state and local water quality improvement efforts. A focus of the Fund’s investments is in stormwater management, which is an essential strategy to improve the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay by reducing polluted runoff,” said David O’Neill, Vice President for Conservation Programs at NFWF.

“The Stewardship Fund is an innovative public-private partnership, supported by the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and private companies including Altria, CSX, Alcoa, and FedEx. The Fund provides a critical local funding source for innovative and community-based approaches to conservation.”