Frederick County Office of Sustainability & Environmental Resources Receives NFWF Small Watersheds Grant Award

Submitted by Heather Montgomery, Community Restoration Coordinator
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Frederick County Office of Sustainability & Environmental Resources was recently awarded a large grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation's 2011 Stewardship Fund Grants program. This funding will be used to target efforts in the Linganore watershed, including: educational workshops, tree planting on rural residential properties, forest conservation, soil testing & nutrient management, and much more. Details about the grant program and recipients of these awards are included in the following Bay Journal article (Nov 2011, by Karl Blankenship):

Brook trout restoration in West Virginia, oyster shell recycling in Maryland and efforts to identify high-quality streams that may be affected by natural gas drilling or other development in Pennsylvania were among 55 projects throughout the Bay watershed that recently received $10.9 million in grants aimed at helping to protect local waters and, ultimately, the Bay.

The funding was awarded through the Small Watershed Grants Program and the Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program. Both are part of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund.

Collectively, the projects will preserve 3,729 acres of land, restore 32 miles of forest buffers and stream banks, and install runoff-reducing practices on 2,878 acres.

"From the commemorative rain gardens in the Port Towns, to Engine Company 12's green roof, these projects underscore that everyone throughout the watershed can make a difference in this restoration effort," said Shawn Garvin, regional EPA administrator, on Oct. 5, while announcing the awards in the District of Columbia.

Most of the money came from the EPA, but other federal agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, as well as corporate sponsors including Altria, Wal-Mart and FedEx contributed to the fund.

The Small Watershed Grants Program awarded $2.8 million to 36 nonprofit organizations and local governments working to improve the condition of their local watersheds. Grant recipients will provide an additional $4.4 million in matching funds for projects that include the restoration of vernal pools, streams and wetlands; engaging students and citizens in activities that protect waterways, such as creating rain gardens; helping local governments launch programs that curb pollution; and a host of other activities.

Altogether, this year's Small Watershed Grants projects are expected to involve 8,645 volunteers and engage 2,228 landowners in conservation and restoration projects.

The Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program awarded $8.2 million to 19 innovative and cost-effective projects that dramatically reduce or eliminate the flow of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution into local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.

Those projects include a variety of programs that work with farmers to reduce runoff; programs that encourage homeowners to reduce fertilizer applications or transform lawns into more natural landscapes; pilot innovative stormwater practices; and other activities.

This year's projects are expected to prevent 600,000 tons of sediment, 2 million pounds of nitrogen and 700,000 pounds of phosphorus from entering the Bay.

Both grant programs are administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a nonprofit organization created by Congress to address conservation needs by using funds from government agencies and private corporations to fund projects. For information about its Chesapeake Bay programs, visit www.nfwf.org/chesapeake.