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EPA Selects National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to Run Bay Grant Program

Release Date: 9/10/1999
Contact Information: Peter Marx, 410-267-5713 - EPA, Chesapeake Bay Program Office

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Washington, D.C. has been selected, under an open competition, as the organization to develop and carry out a Small Watershed Grants Program in the Chesapeake Bay region.

This program will provide financial assistance and support to local communities and groups undertaking watershed improvement projects for the benefit of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers.

Federal funding for this effort in the amount of $750,000 was provided through a Congressional add-on to EPA’s 1999 appropriation and is being administered through the Chesapeake Bay Program.

U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes (Maryland), the key sponsor of the provision in Congress said, "Rivers and streams are the lifeblood of the Chesapeake Bay and of thousands of communities in our region. Under the stewardship of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, these grants will enable local governments and citizen organizations in our region to undertake a variety of projects, including tree plantings and river clean-ups to protect their waters and, ultimately, improve our quality of life and the health of the bay."

The grants program, administered by EPA under the federal Clean Water Act, seeks to assist local groups in carrying out projects to improve the bay, local rivers and watersheds.

The foundation was the successful applicant under a request for proposals issued by EPA on June 15, 1999. Once a final grant award has been issued by EPA, the foundation will conduct a program, starting this fall, to make assistance available to local governments and community groups engaged in watershed restoration and protection. Eligible entities for small assistance awards include non-profits, interstate agencies, educational institutions, citizen organizations and local governments. Awards will typically range from $5,000 to $35,000 per project.

For more information check out the Chesapeake Bay Program Web Site: http://www.chesapeakebay.net or call 1-800-YOUR-BAY.