The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced just under 10 million dollars in grant awards to support restoration and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay.
9.6 million dollars will support nutrient and sediment programs. The programs will limit the amount of fertilizers and pollution that wind up in streams or wash directly into the bay.
Administrator for the EPA Adam Ortiz says, “one of the most important things we can do is try to reduce runoff going into the Chesapeake Bay, and that can be from development in urban areas as well as farms.”
Lawmakers, federal and local organizations gathered at Black Dog Farms to announce how they plan to distribute 9.6 million dollars of federal funding to Maryland farms.
U.S. Senator of Maryland Ben Cardin says the goal is to help minimize runoff into the Chesapeake Bay through nutrient and sediment programs, but also to teach local Farms about sustainability.
“Black Dog Farms is a great example. The way that they are practicing the agricultural industry here with how they are dealing with the poultry industry and how they are doing with grains.”
“They are doing it in a way that protects our environment and our future, as well as being good business owners to make a profit.”
Senator Cardin is working with local farms and providing federal assistance to take the financial burden off their back when practicing these sustainable farming techniques.
“This particular grant will help a farm, like Black Dog Farm, deal with the sediment and nutrient pollution issues that we have, so they will be able to do things to mitigate the pollution coming out of their operations by how they plant bumper crops, how they deal with runoff issues.”
Ortiz also says having this money on the ground level for farmers will help protect the environment.
“This round of funding is going to on the ground farms and organizations to put projects right in their neighborhood so right on farms in places where the Chesapeake Bay and Streams are feeding into it are having too many nutrients and too much pollution.”
