Governor announces $22M for bay restoration projects

Gov. Larry Hogan (R) recently announced the awarding of $22 million to 25 ecological restoration projects that will improve water quality and habitat in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, while building local resilience to climate impacts.

These awards encompass 123 unique sites that will be restored using best management practices, including riparian buffer and reforestation plantings, stream restoration, stormwater management, and wetland creation, according to a release from the governor’s office.

“Our administration has committed record investments in bay restoration and remains committed to preserving this national treasure,” Hogan said in the release. “These funds will improve the quality of our bay, and make Maryland a better and more resilient place for generations to come.”

Grants are made possible with funding through the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, which targets the most cost-efficient and effective non-point source pollution reduction projects. The projects awarded this funding round will benefit local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay by annually removing over 45,000 pounds of nitrogen, 4,500 pounds of phosphorus, and 6,500 tons of suspended solids.

“These projects best exemplify meaningful action of local communities and organizations partnering to improve water quality for our Bay,” Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources said in the release. “We are pleased to continue our support of restoration that not only protects our waterways, but also provides critical nature-based solutions to combat climate impacts.”

The projects are listed on the DNR website along with other programs that are accessible through the department’s streamlined Grants Gateway application process.

Projects in Charles include the Zekiah watershed urban flooding analysis and solutions for three locations, and expanding the third grade education program through the Alice Ferguson Foundation and local public school system.

In Calvert, the project include Chesapeake Beach dredge material placement site, a new fire and rescue vessel and Calvert Marine Museum boat basin pier and bulkhead replacement.

And, in St. Mary’s the projects include Snow Hill Park boat ramp, the purchase of a fire and rescue vessel, repairs to the Bushwood Wharf and St. Patrick’s Creek navigation channel maintenance dredging.

Through the improved connections across similar grant programs, the department seeks to support more comprehensive and integrated projects that achieve at least one of the following outcomes: fostering healthy ecosystems, building resiliency, or providing outdoor learning experiences. By adding increased efficiency to the process, the department hopes to encourage more entities to develop comprehensive and integrated projects across Maryland.