The Chesapeake Bay Trust nonprofit based in Annapolis, Maryland, will receive over $1 million in funding from the federal government to strengthen tidal wetland restoration, public education and bolster green infrastructure projects.
In a news release Friday, U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressman John Sarbanes announced that $1,129,063 in federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will go toward local projects to restore, preserve and protect the Chesapeake Bay.
“The health of the Chesapeake Bay is vital to the health of our communities and our regional economy,” said Van Hollen.
“We fought to pass the infrastructure modernization law — and within it to boost resources for our efforts to protect the Bay — in order to invest in projects like this that will help restore our wetlands and habitats that serve as essential filters to prevent pollutants from poisoning the Bay.”
The funding will be filtered through the Chesapeake Bay Trust toward local governments and nonprofits working in the area.
It is estimated the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will provide up to $7 billion to Maryland over the next five years for infrastructure, workforce development, equity, and climate change related projects.
Cardin said that protecting the Chesapeake Bay is vital for protecting Maryland’s future.
“Maryland’s wetlands provide habitat for fish and wildlife and protection for communities against erosion, flooding, and storm surges,” said Cardin. “As we grapple with our climate reality, this grant invests in the tools and education necessary to keep our natural infrastructure strong.”
