WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen and Congressman John Sarbanes (all D-Md.) today announced $1,129,063 in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding to restore wetlands and expand green infrastructure throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Chesapeake Bay Trust will sub-award this federal funding for local governments and nonprofits to implement wetland restoration and capacity building projects through the Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) program, which will help strengthen tidal wetland restoration and monitoring, support outreach and education for local communities, and bolster implementation of green infrastructure projects.
“Maryland’s wetlands provide habitat for fish and wildlife and protection for communities against erosion, flooding, and storm surges,” said Senator Cardin. “As we grapple with our climate reality, this grant invests in the tools and education necessary to keep our natural infrastructure strong.”
“The health of the Chesapeake Bay is vital to the health of our communities and our regional economy. 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,” said Senator Van Hollen.
“Restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay is an environmental, economic, historical and cultural priority for our state and region,” said Congressman Sarbanes. “Along with record investments in rebuilding our infrastructure nationwide, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act delivers the resources needed to support regional projects like restoring the Chesapeake Bay. Providing the Chesapeake Bay Trust with these critical federal funds will help communities along the Chesapeake Bay Watershed work to reduce stormwater runoff, improve water quality and build their collaborative capacity to create a more sustainable and resilient future.”
The lawmakers fought to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to fund projects like this and strengthen high-quality, climate resilient, and environmentally-friendly systems in our communities. The law will provide more than $7 billion in federal funding directly to Maryland over five years to strengthen our infrastructure and invest in workforce development, equity, and climate change.
The Chesapeake Bay Trust is a nonprofit grant-making organization. Their mission is to improve the watersheds of the Chesapeake Bay by engaging and empowering diverse groups to take actions that enrich natural resources and local communities.
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