On December 10, The Nature Conservancy announced it has been awarded a grant of nearly $1 million through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund to accelerate wetland restoration efforts across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The grant was one of 47 announced this fall by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation , which partners on the fund with two other EPA grant programs.
In Pennsylvania, TNC will focus efforts in the Southcentral part of the state to build outreach capacity and the kind of new conservation partnerships that have resulted in success in Maryland.
As the majority of wetlands in the state are associated with streams, this project will integrate both wetland and stream restoration approaches with the goal of improving water quality in Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay.
“With 40 percent of the state’s streams listed as impaired and having lost more than half of our state’s wetlands, restoration is essential for people and nature,” said Su Fanok, Director of Freshwater Conservation for The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania. “Restoring streams and wetlands restores vital wildlife habitat while at the same time helping to improve water quality. We look forward to working in partnership to leverage existing expertise, to advance innovative and cost-effective restoration approaches, and to identify additional resources that will accelerate the pace and scale of wetland and stream restoration in Southcentral Pennsylvania.”
Wetlands play a critical role in Chesapeake Bay water quality by slowing freshwater entering the bay and trapping nutrients and sediment. They also provide habitat to a range of important species, including black ducks, many migratory birds, and fish.
The Chesapeake Bay Partnership has pledged to restore 85,000 acres across the bay watershed by 2025, but only 11 percent of that goal has been reached since the agreement was last signed in 2014.
“While we’re making important strides in restoring wetland and marsh habitats in the Chesapeake Bay region, better, more effective partnerships are critical in bringing our collective goals to scale,” said Jake Reilly, director of Chesapeake Bay programs for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. “NFWF and its public and private funding partners are excited to support TNC and its partners’ efforts to build the collaborative partnerships necessary to meet our ambitious goals for a more resilient Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.”
For more information on programs, initiatives and other special events, visit the PA Chapter of The Nature Conservancy website. Click Here to sign up for updates from TNC, Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter and Join them on Instagram. Click Here to become a member.
[For more information on Pennsylvania’s efforts to reduce water pollution going to the Bay visit DEP’s PA Chesapeake Bay Plan webpage.]
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[Posted: December 11, 2019] www.PaEnvironmentDigest.com
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