www.chesapeafeebay. net 4^ BackgjKD Chesapeake Bay Program A Watershed forfncnship o 410 Severn Avenue. Suite 109 * Annapolis, Maryland 21403 * 410-257-5700 • toll free 800-Y0UR BAY 2008 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grant Recipients The Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Program provides grants to organizations working on a local level to protect and improve watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay basin, while building citizen-based resource stewardship. Under the 2008 program, 34 projects from across the Bay watershed have been selected to receive more than $2.1 million in funding. Primary program funding is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program Office. Additional funding partners include the USDA Forest Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Small Watershed Grants Organization Project Name Project Description Location Award Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Inc. Urban Tree Canopy Initiative The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay will plant 1,325 street trees and 12,000 seedlings on 60 acres in three cities with urban tree canopy goals. This project will involve 2,500 volunteers and increases local capacity to maintain urban tree installations. Annapolis, MD; Purcellville, VA; Washington, DC $50,000 Cacapon Institute, Inc. Failure is Not an Option The Cacapon Institute, Inc. will perform a study of electric deer-exclusion fencing in riparian buffers and reforested upland areas. The project will evaluate the efficacy of using low-cost electric fencing to restore two acres of upland forest and protect 6,000 linear feet of riparian forest buffer plantings. This project will measure the success of fenced and unfenced sites and identify strategic approaches to restoration plantings in areas of high deer density. The project seeks to provide valuable scientific data and outreach materials to NGOs and communities across the Chesapeake Bay watershed involved in riparian forest buffer plantings, with the goal to ensure that these restoration investments achieve maximum pollutant filtration and habitat benefits. MD, VA, WV $48,683 Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc. Upper Potomac Farm Stewardship The Chesapeake Bay Foundation will work with local landowners in the Upper Potomac watershed to install 28 acres of riparian forest buffers on agricultural land and stabilize 9.5 miles of stream bank. This project will facilitate the enrollment of landowners in existing state and federal conservation programs. MD, PA, WV $100,000 Defenders of Wildlife Conservation Capacity Building Defenders of Wildlife will mentor two land trusts to increase capacity for land preservation of targeted lands in both the tidal coastal plain and non tidal headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This project will help land trusts identify parcels valuable for both water quality protection and wildlife conservation. Defenders of Wildlife will facilitate the collaboration of multiple stakeholders to assist regional land trusts and their local partners identify fundraising and outreach techniques to implement management practices on protected lands. DE, MD, PA, VA $90,000 Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection & Resource Management The Growing Home Campaign The Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection & Resource Management will implement an innovative social marketing approach to tree canopy expansion in urban areas of Baltimore County. This project will educate homeowners about the benefits of planting trees and use a market-based coupon reimbursement incentive to motivate tree purchases and plantings on homeowner land in Baltimore County. The project partners will also explore ways to expand this successful model to other counties in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Baltimore County, MD $50,000 The Chesapeake Bay Program is a unique regional partnership that has coordinated restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed since 1983. Bay Program partners include Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia; the District of Columbia; the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative body; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, representing the federal government; and advisory groups. For more information, visit www.chesapeakebav.net. ------- 2008 Small Watershed Grant Recipients Page 2 Small Watershed Grants Organization Project Name Project Description Location Award Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Living Shoreline The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum will construct a living shoreline on its grounds to enhance tidal marsh habitat and filter stormwater. This project will design and install a stone sill breakwater structure and plant approximately 6,100 native tidal marsh grasses to create a 12,670 square foot tidal marsh to help treat stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces on Museum property. This project will use this highly visible living shoreline restoration project as the focal point of an outdoor living classroom to educate the public about the essential role the Chesapeake Bay's tidal marshlands play in the life cycles of various aquatic species. Talbot County, MD $100,000 Chesapeake Ecology Center Rainscaping Campaign The Chesapeake Ecology Center will conduct a three-year social marketing campaign to promote ecological stormwater management solutions. This project will distribute information about "rainscaping" through various mass media venues to reach approximately 250,000 residents of Anne Arundel County. The project seeks to inform landowners of Bay healthy landscaping practices that are eligible for a county stormwater tax credit. Anne Arundel County, MD $75,000 City of Cumberland, Maryland Urban Tree Canopy Program The City of Cumberland will undertake a stakeholder engagement process to identify an Urban Tree Canopy goal and associated strategies to promote trees as an important component of the city's stormwater management strategy. This project will inform and educate the public through 15-20 stakeholder listening sessions and prepare a draft Tree Canopy Ordinance and educational materials to promote the adoption of the draft ordinance. City of Cumberland, Allegany County, MD $62,000 Friends of Blackwater Incorporated Maryland Nutria Project: Judas Nutria The Friends of Blackwater, Inc. will develop a suite of population detection and monitoring tools for application in nutria eradication efforts. This project will use sterile, radio-collared "Judas nutria" to locate and eradicate the remaining nutria populations on the Delmarva Peninsula. The project will test the "Judas Nutria" concept, conduct community outreach to increase public awareness and understanding of nutria impacts on the Chesapeake Bay, increase community involvement in defining distribution and recurrence of residual nutria populations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Eastern Shore, MD $75,000 Herring Run Watershed Association Implementing the Upper Back River Watershed Plan The Herring Run Watershed Association will implement the Upper Back River Watershed Plan through demonstration stormwater retrofits, urban forestry, and a downspout disconnection program in order to intercept 646,000 gallons of untreated stormwater annually. The project will install two stormwater retrofits, engage over 750 residents in the planting and stewardship of 2,250 trees and the disconnection of 400 downspouts. Baltimore County, MD $80,000 Izaak Walton League of America, Inc. A Model for Smarter Watershed Restoration The Izaak Walton League of America, Inc. will develop a restoration plan for the Savage River watershed. This project will assess and monitor approximately 135 miles of stream and engage 50 - 70 landowners in prioritized restoration activities. Based on restoration activities and the Savage River watershed restoration plan, the project partners will publish a volunteer manual to help citizens monitor stream bank erosion and best management practice (BMP) effectiveness. Garrett and Allegany Counties, MD $50,000 Nanticoke Watershed Alliance Green Infrastructure Planning Initiative The Nanticoke Watershed Alliance will develop a Green Infrastructure conservation plan that protects ecologically important areas in the Nanticoke River watershed. This project will form workgroups composed of stakeholders in five counties to strategically develop a watershed wide Green Infrastructure conservation plan. The comprehensive stakeholder engagement approach will engage 80- 100 stakeholder groups and individuals in the process of prioritizing landscapes for conservation in the Nanticoke River watershed. Nanticoke River watershed, MD and DE $29,000 Scenic Rivers Land Trust South River Greenway Project The Scenic Rivers Land Trust will protect 1,800 acres of land, restore 2,500 feet of streams, restore 100 acres of upland habitat, repair five eroding gullies, open a migratory fish passage and engage hundreds of citizens in the protection and restoration of their local watersheds. The project will also expand the Scenic Rivers Land Trust capacity to strategically conserve resource lands in Anne Arundel County for the restoration and protection of living resources and the water quality on which they depend. Anne Arundel County, MD $50,000 ------- 2008 Small Watershed Grant Recipients Page 3 Small Watershed Grants Organization Project Name Project Description Location Award Akin Gump School Partnership Project, Inc. Tyler Outdoor Classroom Project The Akin Gump School Partnership Project will install a 13,000 square foot bio-retention area at Tyler Elementary School to mitigate stormwater pollution and provide a demonstration of Low Impact Development (LID) approaches. This project will provide a model solution for D.C. public schools and dense urban communities that integrate stormwater management with the creation of public green space. The project will also integrate watershed education in school-based and community programs. Washington, DC $50,000 D.C. Greenworks Green Roof Incentive Program D.C. Greenworks will work with the District Department of the Environment to develop a green roof subsidy and incentive program to accelerate the instillation of green roofs in the District of Columbia. This project will target pilot subsidies to priority stormwater sewersheds and will develop a green roof toolkit to educate homeowners and businesses about the benefits of this practice as well as options for financing the installation of green roofs. Washington, DC $75,000 Chesterfield County Chesterfield County Riparian Stewardship Chesterfield County will conduct a social marketing campaign to target landowners holding priority riparian parcels and conduct three riparian restorations in developed subdivisions. This project will use existing Geographic Information Systems data to target marketing materials to priority parcels and establish a Riparian Stewardship Fund to which local businesses and industries can contribute and fund riparian enhancement projects on private lands. Chesterfield County, VA $20,100 Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District Upper Rappahannock Stream Restoration The Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District will restore 5,000 linear feet of stream channel at three sites in the Upper Rappahannock River Basin. This project will reduce sediment pollution to the Rappahannock River and will provide hands-on education to Conservation District staff on how to design and implement stream channel restoration projects. Culpeper, VA $68,000 Henrico Soil & Water Conservation District Henrico Soil Test Voucher Program The Henrico Soil & Water Conservation District will provide 2,500 vouchers for residential lawn and garden soil tests within Henrico County to promote proper residential fertilizer applications. This project will reduce the amount of nutrients entering the James River watershed by increasing education and awareness of lawn fertilizer impacts on water quality. Henrico County, VA $20,000 James River Association Extreme Stream Makeover The James River Association will implement a stream restoration plan for Horsepen Branch and use proven watershed assessment protocols to identify restoration opportunities in Blackwater Creek. This project will work with several private and corporate land owners, and involve 500 community volunteers to implement restoration actions. The project will design and implement seven bioretention Best Management Practices, 50 rain barrels and retrofit a minimum of four existing impervious parking areas with pervious pavement to increase stormwater filtration and infiltration. In addition to these practices, this project will seed a nursery to support production of vegetation for a minimum 2,000 square foot green roof. Richmond and Lynchburg, VA $135,000 New Kent County New Kent County Community Conservation Partnership New Kent County will lead an incentive initiative to support implementation of conservation measures and foster land stewardship in urban areas of the Chickahominy River watershed. This project will be implemented in partnership with the Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District, which is replicating the success of a program begun in 2006 in James City County. The project will develop 15 urban watershed plans and provide technical services to landowners. New Kent County, VA $80,000 Randolph-Macon College Mechumps Creek Restoration Plan The Randolph-Macon College will create a restoration plan for 4,035 linear feet of Mechumps Creek in Ashland, Virginia. This project will afford college students the opportunity to work with design contractors on the prioritization of watershed and stream restoration design elements. The project will involve the City of Ashland and private land owners in the restoration design process and will conduct a review of threatened and endangered species in the Mechumps Creek watershed. Ashland, VA $30,000 ------- 2008 Small Watershed Grant Recipients Page 4 Small Watershed Grants Organization Project Name Project Description Location Award The Elizabeth River Project Paradise Creek Nature Park The Elizabeth River Project will expand upon the Paradise Creek Nature Park restoration effort to conserve 40 acres of forested buffer along an urbanized area of the Elizabeth River. Volunteers will plant 7,500 native emergent wetland and riparian plants to provide a corridor that connects 250 acres of upland and wetland wildlife habitat in the Elizabeth River watershed. Portsmouth, VA $50,000 Valley Conservation Council, Inc. Shenandoah Land Use Network III The Valley Conservation Council will help localities and developers in the Shenandoah Valley adopt measures that reduce sprawl and lessen the impacts developed lands have on water quality. This project will convene a broad alliance of stakeholders to launch a social marketing and public education initiative. This effort will result in enhanced technical assistance to local governments facing the challenges of sprawl including model Low Impact Development demonstrations. Shenandoah Valley, VA $65,000 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Assessing Combined Nutrient Management Virginia Tech will conduct targeted outreach to dairy farmers in Rockingham and Augusta counties regarding the combination of anaerobic digestion systems with innovative nutrient management technologies. This project will produce a technical and economic feasibility study of bioenergy production potential in the Shenandoah Valley. The project partners will identify the viability of community-based manure-to-energy options for adoption by specific networks of farmers in Rockingham and Augusta counties. This approach seeks to leverage nutrient recovery technologies currently explored by the Virginia Waste Solutions Forum and combines energy production with nutrient management. Rockingham and Augusta Counties, VA $30,000 Wetlands Watch, Inc. Local Shoreline Strategy for Sea Level Rise Wetlands Watch will work with a county government along the Chesapeake Bay shore to implement a model sea level rise adaptation and shoreline conservation strategy for the region. This project will help local governments explore the entire suite of regulatory tools, land use management options, public and private financial incentives and social marketing campaigns to help coastal communities adapt to sea level rise. Mathews County, VA $24,200 Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Inc. Chesapeake Advanced Biofuels Summit The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay will convene an advanced biofuels summit to develop a sustainable biofuels strategy for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Preparations for the summit will involve a broad stakeholder engagement process with an advisory panel of national experts as well as four listening sessions for public input. The process will result in a set of issue papers for consideration by the Chesapeake Executive Council. This project seeks to develop a regional strategy that integrates nutrient reduction and water quality concerns in the development of the biofuels industry in the Chesapeake Bay region. Lancaster, PA $25,000 Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc. Rotational Grazing and Buffer Implementation The Chesapeake Bay Foundation will expand the implementation of rotational grazing and forested riparian buffers in Bradford and Susquehanna counties. The project will allow the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to leverage the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and provide landowners with financial and technical assistance to offset the cost of implementing rotational grazing approaches not eligible for CREP. This approach is expected to restore 25.5 miles of forested riparian buffers, establish 965.4 acres of rotational grazing systems and restore 94.5 acres of wetlands. This comprehensive approach that integrates riparian buffer restoration with rotational grazing expansion is expected to result in a reduced annual pollutant load to local streams of 374,044 pounds of nitrogen, 19,691 pounds of phosphorus, and 5,519 tons of sediment. In addition to this, these practices are estimated to result in the sequestration of 20,982 tons of atmospheric carbon. Bradford and Susquehanna Counties, PA $110,000 Clinton County Conservation District Fishing Creek Stream Restoration The Clinton County Conservation District will reduce sediment loads and improve aquatic habitat in three sections of Fishing Creek in Clinton County, Pennsylvania. The project will remove the Axe Factory Dam, stabilize 6,500 feet of stream channel and establish 6,500 feet of native riparian buffer. Clinton County, PA $70,000 ------- 2008 Small Watershed Grant Recipients Page 5 Small Watershed Grants Organization Project Name Project Description Location Award Cumberland Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited Green Lane Farms and Spangler's Mill Dam Removals The Cumberland Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited will remove two nonfunctional dams from Yellow Breeches Creek in Cumberland and York counties to improve migratory fish passage. This project will open 4.3 miles of stream to fish passage, stabilize 6,642 linear feet of stream bank surrounding the dam removal area and restore 3,321 linear feet of riparian buffer habitat. Cumberland and York Counties, PA $50,000 Lebanon Valley Conservancy Quittapahilla Creek Stormwater Wetland The Lebanon Valley Conservancy will design and construct a high priority stormwater Best Management Practice in the Quittapahilla Creek watershed to treat nutrient and sediment loads. The project will construct a stormwater wetland that will annually remove an estimated 240 tons of sediment, 2,500 pounds of nitrogen, and 140 pounds of phosphorous while providing valuable wildlife habitat. Lebanon County, PA $60,000 Montour Area Recreation Commission Mahoning Creek Habitat Enhancement Project The Montour Area Recreation Commission will install stream bank stabilization to decrease erosion and sedimentation in Mahoning Creek. The project will install several in-stream fish habitat enhancement structures to improve the aquatic environment of Mahoning Creek. In all, this project will restore 1,600 linear feet of stream, plant 3,200 linear feet of riparian buffers and install educational signage. Montour County, PA $35,000 Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District Supporting Community-Led Watershed Management The Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District will support targeted Tributary Strategy implementation by using a GIS prioritization system to locate wetland construction projects that maximize nutrient pollutant reduction. This project will engage local communities in the restoration and creation of 70 acres of wetlands and 3,000 linear feet of riparian buffer habitat along Appalachian Creek. The project will also conduct a workshop to identify future wetland restoration opportunities and promote stewardship among landowners. Upper Susquehanna River, NY and PA $100,000 Wildlife For Everyone Endowment Foundation Centre County Stream Restoration Program The Wildlife For Everyone Endowment Foundation will obtain engineering services to complete design work for 11 restoration sites in Centre County. This project will help target and coordinate technical and financial resources to high priority projects that will result in the restoration of 2,400 feet of stream bank, 60 acres of riparian buffers, the installation of 20 fish habitat structures and the renovation of 280 acres of pastureland. Centre County, PA $150,000 Cacapon and Lost Rivers Land Trust, Inc. Land Preservation in Eastern West Virginia The Cacapon and Lost Rivers Land Trust will close eight conservation easements to protect 1,600 acres of land in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia in targeted areas facing significant development pressures. This approach will strengthen collaboration among farmers and federal, state and non-profit entities to restore two miles of riparian forest buffers on lands with conservation easements. Eastern Panhandle of WV $75,000 ------- |