EPA Awards $5.5 Million for Chesapeake Bay Clean-up Efforts

Camp Hill, Pa. (October 12, 2006) - Today the Environmental Protection Agency awarded the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation over $5.5 million to fund water quality restoration projects throughout the Bay’s 64,000 square-mile watershed. The Foundation will use the funds to manage a targeted watershed grants program that reduces nitrogen and phosphorus pollution that harm the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

The goal of the Chesapeake Bay Targeted Watersheds Grant Program is to expand collective knowledge on the most innovative, sustainable and cost-effective strategies for reducing excess nutrient loads within specific tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay. To achieve this goal, the program awards grants of up to $1 million on a competitive basis to projects that target and reflect the diverse conditions and sources of nutrients that exist throughout the Chesapeake watershed.

Rebecca Hanmer, director of EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program, presented a ceremonial check to NFWF Director of Conservation Programs Tom Kelsch at today’s 2006 Targeted Watershed Project Roundtable hosted by NFWF and EPA. The ten recipients at the roundtable received grants through a similar award to the Foundation last year. Together, their efforts are projected to reduce nitrogen levels by over 9 million pounds.

"The Targeted Watershed Grant Program is a great example of citizen-centered cooperative conservation supported by President Bush that fosters innovation while accelerating restoration of watersheds,”said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles.

“The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is honored to have been chosen to administer this critically important program,” said Kelsch. “These grants are helping to stem the tide of pollution flowing into the Chesapeake Bay and we are proud to be at the forefront of that effort.”

On Monday, October 16, the foundation will hold a workshop in Washington, D.C., for organizations and local governments interested in applying for the new funds. Examples of projects that can be funded through the program include managing nutrient runoff from manure through precision feeding and identifying markets for manure as fertilizer; integrating farm stewardship with ecosystem restoration activities; and implementing various “low-impact development” and “social marketing” approaches to address urban/suburban storm water in cost-effective ways.

Proposed projects are reviewed by a steering committee convened by NFWF. Projects are selected based on criteria established jointly by the Foundation and the steering committee.

Primary funding for the grant program is provided by the EPA through its national Targeted Watersheds Grants Program and its Chesapeake Bay Program. Grant recipients must provide at least 25 percent in matching funds and in-kind services to support the projects.