The Chesapeake Bay Trust, Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), and the Chesapeake Bay Program, have announced ten awardees of the Watershed Assistance Grant Program, a grant program designed to provide local governments and nonprofits with support for the earliest phases of watershed restoration projects.
“Communities throughout our region want to play a role in the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and invest in clean water and healthy natural resources,” Maryland Department of Natural Resources Deputy Secretary Joanne Throwe said. “This program is intended to help them get the ball rolling on vital restoration projects that have a significant impact on water quality.”
The Watershed Assistance Grant Program supports design assistance, watershed planning, and programmatic development associated with protection and restoration projects that lead to improved water quality in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Maryland portion of the Youghiogheny watershed, Maryland Coastal Bays, and specifically, progress towards goals of the Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) process, which is the roadmap used by Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions for meeting the 2025 Total Maximum Daily Load requirements, or pollution control measures, set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“The collaborative effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay and meet the 2025 Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) requirements hinges on the participation of local communities,” said Ben Grumbles, Maryland Secretary of the Environment. “MDE and DNR offer both technical assistance and financial assistance through grant programs like this to encourage and facilitate participation at every level.”
The grant program also serves as an entry point for future project funding, wherein awardees leverage the resulting designs and plans to apply for implementation funding through other grant programs, such as those offered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the DNR’s Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, and other sources of support.
“We are beginning to see the cumulative effect of local watershed restoration projects,” said Dr. Jana Davis, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. “Early evidence shows that the Bay is turning a corner. We are proud to combine forces with our funding partners to offer programs like this that ensure that local jurisdictions have the resources they need to take action and participate in that turnaround.”
The ten projects awarded in this round of funding are as follows:
2018-2019 Watershed Assistance Grant Program Awards
- Greater Grace World Outreach, Inc., Baltimore City, MD, $61,350, for the development of a campus green infrastructure master plan and the design of stormwater management practices, including bioretention facilities and tree plantings.
- City Neighbors Foundation, Baltimore City, MD, $55,132 for development of a green infrastructure master plan and construction-ready designs for both theHamilton and High School City Neighbors campuses.
- Pearlstone Conference & Retreat Center, Baltimore County, MD, $101,239 for design of stormwater management practices and a stream restoration project.
- ShoreRivers, Queen Anne’s County, MD, $17,171 for development of a master plan for Old Love Point Park.
- Harford Soil Conservation District, Harford County, MD, $75,000.00 for design of the Graveyard Creek stream restoration project.
- The 6th Branch, Baltimore City, MD, $30,000 for the design of green infrastructure practices at Dr. Bernard Harris Elementary School.
- Arundel Rivers Federation, Anne Arundel County, MD, $181,407 for design of the Broad Creek Park stream restoration project.
- ShoreRivers, Cecil County, MD, $174,336 for the design of two stream restoration projects in agricultural sub-watersheds of the upper Sassafras River.
- Partnerships for Ecological Restoration, Inc., Queen Anne’s County, MD, $30,000 for the design of wetland and buffer plantings at Train Family Farm.
- Greater Baybrook Alliance, Baltimore City, MD, $60,000 for design of green infrastructure practices at Garrett Park.
For more information on the Watershed Assistance Grant Award Program and detailed project descriptions, please visit www.cbtrust.org/watershed-assistance
