ESLC awarded grant to continue Envision the Choptank program
Thanks to a grant totaling $107,744 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), ESLC will continue to coordinate various organizations, agencies, and community groups to develop collaborative, evidence-based solutions that enhance the health and productivity of native oyster reefs and provide a swimmable and fishable Choptank River. The Envision the Choptank project will expand upon the partnership’s ongoing Best Management Practice implementation efforts by providing the nutrient and stormwater reductions equivalent to 50 rain barrels and five rain gardens. Envision the Choptank: Coordinating Efforts for a Healthy Choptank River (MD) Grantee: Eastern Shore Land Conservancy CBSF Award: $80,779 Matching Funds: $26,965 Total Project: $107,744 The award was announced as one of the recipients of the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund 2017 Grant Slate. The Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund seeks to protect and enhance the water quality and habitats of the Chesapeake Bay by helping local communities clean up and restore their polluted rivers and streams. NFWF advances cost-effective and creative solutions with financial and technical assistance. The Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund will identify priority subwatersheds to simultaneously achieve measurable water quality improvements, fish and wildlife habitat enhancements, and benefit threatened freshwater and marine fish species. The fund includes two distinct grant programs: the Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants program and the Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants program. Through these two programs, the fund is awarding 44 grants that address three key strategies for the Chesapeake Bay watershed: • Targeted river and watershed restoration • Green infrastructure in urban landscapes • Innovation on cross-cutting issues