$5 Million Awarded to Regional Organizations to Reduce Nutrient Pollution to the Chesapeake Bay
Washington, D.C . (May 10, 2007) - Eight watershed-based projects designed to prevent millions of pounds of harmful substances from entering the Chesapeake Bay were announced today as recipients of the 2007 Chesapeake Bay Targeted Watershed Grants Program. A total of $5 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) will finance the projects, which range in amount from $400,000 to $800,000.
The Chesapeake Bay Targeted Watershed Grants, announced at a ceremony this morning at Watts Branch Park by EPA Assistant Administrator for Water, Benjamin H. Grumbles, and NFWF Executive Director Jeff Trandahl, will help the eight regional organizations implement innovative programs designed to reduce the amount of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) and sediment flowing into the Chesapeake Bay.
“These grass-roots, blue water projects will reduce local runoff pollution and increase Bay-wide health, while showing the nation the power of innovation and Cooperative Conservation to keep America's watersheds clean,” said Grumbles.
This year’s Targeted Watersheds Grant recipients are:
- Reducing Nutrient Loads from Equine Operations, Maryland Department of Agriculture, $700,000
- Conestoga Watershed Manure Composting, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc., $800,000
- Stream Fencing Pilot for Reducing Nutrient Loads, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, $800,000
- Market Based Approach to Nutrient Reduction, Protected Harvest, $800,000
- Watts Branch Watershed Restoration Project, District of Columbia Department of the Environment, $500,000
- Extreme BMP Makeover, Center for Watershed Protection, $605,000
- Innovative Cropping Practices in the Shenandoah River Watershed, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, $400,000
- Meeting Regional Goals through Local Benefits, The Conservation Fund, $400,000
Combined, the eight projects have the potential to reduce more than 1.5 million pounds of nutrients and over 1.1 million pounds of sediment annually to the Bay. Grants were awarded to projects that include: improving manure and pasture management on 1,450 acres of small horse farms; creating a diversified system for composting and marketing livestock manure; implementing a range of innovative, farmer-friendly practices to keep livestock out of streams and off streambanks; demonstrating the widespread potential for continuous no-till and other innovative cropping practices; establishing a dairy certification and marketing program for milk that is produced to minimize impacts to the Chesapeake; and, demonstrating the value of stream restoration and low impact development practices to reduce pollution runoff in urban and suburban settings.
“These projects have tremendous potential to accelerate the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries,” stated Trandahl. “Collectively they demonstrate promising market-based strategies for addressing some of the most challenging impacts to the Bay, including impacts from agriculture and residential development, as well as demonstrating the positive impacts of large-scale stream and riparian restoration in both urban and rural settings.”
Applications for the Chesapeake Bay Targeted Watersheds Grant Program are reviewed by a steering committee convened by NFWF, and awardees are selected based on criteria established jointly by the Foundation and steering committee which include innovation, sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
Primary funding for the grant program is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through its national Targeted Watersheds Grants Program, and the Chesapeake Bay Program.