BALTIMORE, MD—A total of 34 ecological restoration projects across Maryland will receive $35.8 million in grants from the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced.

The grants, awarded for fiscal year 2025, are expected to remove 63,000 pounds of nitrogen, 10,000 pounds of phosphorus and nearly 14,000 tons of sediment from local waterways, according to a press release from the DNR.

The Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund targets cost-effective and effective non-point source pollution reduction projects, and supports the state’s goal of restored bays by 2025, the DNR said.

“The Trust Fund has long been a leading tool for community-based reductions of pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay, and remains a vital part of our updated strategy for Bay restoration,” Secretary of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz said in a statement. “Through our updated funding process, these water quality improvement grants are also helping bolster habitat and wildlife populations, protect vulnerable communities from the impacts of climate change, and provide economic and recreational opportunities for everyone.”

Grants will be used to restore wetlands, establish upland meadow habitat, reduce flooding and improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the DNR said.

Funding recipients and dollar amounts are expected to be finalized later in 2024.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Image via Maryland Department of Natural Resources on Flickr