ST. MICHAELS, MD –
U.S. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) today joined
U.S. Congressman Frank Kratovil (MD-1),
Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Shari Wilson and officials from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Keith Campbell Foundation in announcing $689,000 to 11 grantees to promote living shoreline projects in the Chesapeake Bay region

Senator Cardin also was joined by Peter Byrnes, Chairman of the Board of the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Peyton Robertson of NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office, at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in making the announcement.
 

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It is critical that we take an active role in preserving and nurturing the entire Bay habitat,” said
Senator Cardin, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and chairman of the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee.  “Shoreline restoration is a key factor in any restoration effort, and it needs to be carried out with skill and appreciation for the entire eco-system.  I am pleased that this grant program invests in future shoreline restoration projects that will benefit all of us.”

“Living shorelines are an important new restoration approach designed to protect coastal areas against erosion at the same time that they restore ecologically significant wetland habitat,” said
Dr. Allen Hance, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, which leads the unique public-private funding collaborative.
  “The Chesapeake Bay Trust is proud to work together with NOAA, the Keith Campbell Foundation, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and our grantees to install living shorelines that create measurable improvements to the health of the Chesapeake Bay.”

“This is a fantastic example of a public-private partnership: State government joining forces with environmental advocates and non-profits to improve the habitat of our shorelines,” said
Secretary Wilson.
  “In 2008, Governor O'Malley signed legislation requiring soft shorelines wherever feasible. Tuesday, Governor O'Malley courageously committed to more than double Maryland's effort to restore the Bay.  Building soft shorelines, such as the projects announced today, transforms the law and commitments into on-the-ground progress.”

This grant initiative is designed to reverse the trend of shoreline hardening by encouraging the creation of living shoreline restoration projects and by enhancing public awareness of the benefits of living shorelines.
Living Shorelines are defined as shoreline stabilization techniques that use natural habitat elements to protect shorelines from erosion while also providing critical habitat for Bay wildlife. 

Since this partnership began in 2005, more than $2 million has been awarded to 45 organizations throughout the region to install living shorelines.
  The collaboration has helped in the restoration of 28,200 linear feet of living shoreline.