Posted on August 9, 2023
Millions of dollars have been made available for projects to help restore the Chesapeake Bay.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says up to $206 million in funding will be made available through the president’s “Investing in America” agenda, to protect and restore the bay and the watershed while advancing environmental justice. The EPA is accepting applications from eligible community-based organizations for two funding opportunities. Of the funding, $96 million will come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law while another $110 million will come from regular EPA appropriations.
Organizations can apply for funding through two Requests for Applications (RFAs) issued by EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office; applications are due by mid-September. Both RFAs will fund the Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) Grant and Small Watershed Grant (SWG) programs for four years. As a result of the boost from the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the $206 million from both RFAs will mark the largest single investment in these grant programs since their creation in 1999. Both programs have been integral to progress made at restoring water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed and are advancing President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to direct 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to disadvantaged communities.
“Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, we have unprecedented funding going to communities for on-the-ground projects that will improve their local environments and ultimately the health of the Chesapeake Bay,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “This historic funding, along with the great momentum and stronger cooperation among the many partners, is enabling us to accelerate our work to achieve clean waters and a healthier, more resilient, and economically stronger Bay and watershed.”
