EPA, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Announce Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed, Innovative Nutrient & Sediment Reduction Grants

On October 2, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced over $90 million in restoration and clean water grants in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

The awards include funding from the NFWF Small Watershed and Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grant programs.

The grants awarded in Pennsylvania include--

NFWF Chesapeake Small Watersheds Grants Program

-- Bradford County Conservation District - $97,400: Accelerated Design And Planning for Stream Restoration and Reforestation in Bradford County

-- Lancaster County Conservation District - $48,300: Building Capacity for Conservation for Grassroots Watershed Groups in Lancaster County

-- North Branch Land Trust - $119,300: Developing Land Conservation Strategies for Public Water Utilities

-- Stroud Water Research Center - $127,700: Enhancing Post-Planting Maintenance for Riparian Forest Buffers

-- Stroud Water Research Center - $749,300: Enhancing Agricultural Nutrient Management In PA

-- Stroud Water Research Center - $750,000: Implementing Farm Resource Plans and Riparian Forested Buffers in Lancaster and Chester Counties

-- East Cocalico Township Authority - $170,200: Protecting Source Water In East Cacalico Twp. Through On-Farm Implementation

-- Trout Unlimited - $749,500: Reconnecting Brook Trout Habitats through Culvert Replacement in Pine Creek Watershed

-- Western PA Conservancy - $739,000: Restoring Aquatic Organism Passage for Brook Trout in Bear Run Watershed

-- Sustainable Chesapeake - $150,000: Manureshed Analysis to Inform Nutrient Management Plans In Lancaster County (PA) and Smith Creek (VA)

-- PA Environmental Council - $57,400: Restoring Forest Habitat in the Susquehanna River Watershed

-- Capital Resource Conservation and Development Area Council - $706,400: Accelerate Adoption of Improved Grazing Management Practices to Improve Habitat and Water Quality

-- WeConservePA - $195,500: Easement Support and Resource Management Planning for Land Trusts

-- Sustainable Chesapeake - $487,000: Accelerating Multi-species Cover Cropping Systems in Chesapeake Bay Watershed (DE, MD, NY, PA, VA)

-- Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake - $729,000: Accelerating Water Quality Improvements on Lands Owned by Faith-based Organizations (MD, PA)

-- PASA Sustainable Agriculture - $749,500: Supporting Soil Health Conservation on Agricultural Lands (MD, NY, PA)

-- Chesapeake Stormwater Network - $400,000: Training and Engagement to Improve Stormwater Management Capacity  (DC, DE, MD, NY, PA, VA, WV)

-- National Wildlife Federation - $285,000: Convening Watershed Partners to accelerate Chesapeake Bay Restoration (DC, DE, MD, NY, PA, VA, WV)

Click Here for project descriptions.

NFWF Chesapeake Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants

-- Cumberland County - $1,000,000: Accelerating Cumberland County Water Quality Improvements through Rapid Stream Delisting

-- Penn State University - $1,000,000: Accelerating Engagement and Watershed Restoration through the Lower Susquehanna Partnership

-- PA Association of Conservation Districts - $1,000,000: Building Capacity and Efficiency for Agricultural Conservation Technical Assistance

-- Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County - $1,000,000: Targeted Agricultural and Riparian Restoration through the Lancaster Clean Water Partners

-- Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay - $750,000: Expanding Riparian Forest Buffeers and Forest Cover on Private lands In Chesapeake Bay Watershed (MD, PA, VA, WV)

-- Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay - $1,000,000: Supply Chain-Driven Agricultural Conservation in Priority Chesapeake Bay Watersheds (NY, PA, VA)

-- Tioga County Soil & Water Conservation District - $1,000,000: Scaling Up Implementation and Collaboration Through the Upper Susquehanna Coalition (NY, PA)

Click Here for project descriptions.

Click Here for the EPA - NFWF announcement.

Related Articles This Week:

-- EPA, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Announce Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed, Innovative Nutrient & Sediment Reduction Grants  [PaEN]

-- Call For Presentations: Westminster College Center For The Environment Is Now Accepting Proposals For The 2026 Student Symposium On The Environment To Be Held Nov. 30 to Dec. 3  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State: Oct. 19 EarthTalks Features Lara Fowler On Building Community-Led Solutions To Flooding Challenges  [PaEN]  

-- Penn State Extension's 'Brooke Meets A Stream Doctor' Now Includes Free Stream Video  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- University Of Maryland Issues C+ In Latest Chesapeake Bay And Watershed Report Card, Highest Score Ever Achieved  

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Harrisburg Capital Region Water Authority Sues To Force PA State Government To Pay Unpaid Stormwater Management Fees

-- WITF: Capitol Region Water Sues State To Force Payment Of $2.4 Million Of Stormwater Management Fees Owed So Far

[Posted: October 14, 2026]  PA Environment Digest