EPA awards $206M in Chesapeake Bay restoration grants

The funds will be divided between the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ($193 million) and the Chesapeake Bay Trust ($13 million). The NFWF will administer grants for small watershed and innovative nutrient and sediment reduction projects, while the Chesapeake Bay Trust will administer a new community capacity building grant program.

“The Chesapeake Bay is the lifeblood of this region, supporting all those across six states and the District of Columbia who call the Chesapeake Bay watershed home – and those who visit,” said EPA Assistant Deputy Administrator Mark Rupp. “The funding announced today is strategically focused to support conservation projects -- and the people who will implement them – over the next four years to restore both water quality and habitat.”

The EPA expects the grants to support projects that reduce pollution, enhance the health of ecosystems, and restore wetlands and waterways.

“These grants reflect our continuing commitment to protect the Chesapeake Bay and preserve our nation’s environmental legacy for future generations,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “This historic investment by the Biden-Harris Administration enables EPA to continue to provide game-changing funding for our partners who are equally committed to preserving, protecting and enhancing the communities, people and businesses who rely on the Bay.”

For details about the Chesapeake Bay Program, click here.

For details about the EPA's efforts to support the Bay, click here.