BALTIMORE, MD—The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) has been awarded a $500,000 grant to design and implement 100 new forested riparian buffer acres and maintain existing buffers on agricultural lands in central Pennsylvania.

The grant was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Section 319 Grant program.

Forested riparian buffers are trees and shrubs planted along streams that absorb and filter runoff before it reaches the water, helping to improve water quality and fish and wildlife habitat.

“The $500,000 grant to CBF strengthens our forested riparian buffer work already underway in critical Lancaster, York, Cumberland, Franklin, Adams, Bedford, and Centre counties,” said Kristen Heberlig, CBF Resiliency Program Manager in Pennsylvania. “Just as important, it allows us to expand the vital conservation practice of buffers in Clinton, Lebanon, Lycoming, Mifflin and Juniata counties.”

This funding is part of a larger effort to improve water quality and habitat in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and other watersheds. The EPA awarded a total of $3.4 million in grants to 12 different organizations for projects addressing nonpoint source runoff.

“The 12 grants awarded from the EPA and selected by the DEP amplify Governor Josh Shapiro’s commitment that the Commonwealth ‘is all in,’ and plans to continue its clean water work to benefit local waters and the Chesapeake Bay for the long haul,” said Julia Krall, CBF Executive Director for Pennsylvania.

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

Photo via Pixabay