The Maryland Department of the Environment and the Trust seek proposals for nontidal wetland projects in Maryland. This program seeks to implement cost-effective wetland projects to provide valuable wetland functions, including habitat for a wide range of species and improved water quality, flood attenuation, recharge of groundwater, and aesthetics in the State’s local watersheds and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay, Youghiogheny River, and Atlantic Coastal Bays.
Donor Name: Chesapeake Bay Trust
State: Maryland
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Award
Deadline: 09/14/2023
Size of the Grant: Up to $950,000
Grant Duration: 2 yeras
Details:
This program is designed to support no net loss of nontidal wetland acreage and functions in the state of Maryland. This program seeks proposals for nontidal wetland restoration, nontidal wetland creation, nontidal wetland enhancement, and/or nontidal wetland preservation projects. Proposed projects must have the potential to enter into a permanent protection mechanism.
The output of this program is to design, construct, monitor, and protect nontidal wetland sites and their associated buffers in the State of Maryland. Funded projects will be considered as In-Lieu Fee compensatory wetland mitigation sites and regulated wetland areas.
Similarly, MDE supports the goal of achieving environmental equity for all Maryland residents. Accordingly, as MDE implements state laws and programs to protect and restore the environment, it is the Policy of MDE to implement environmental laws and programs wherever possible in a manner that reduces existing inequities and avoids the creation of additional inequities in Environmental Justice (EJ) Communities. As a result, MDE recently developed an EJ Screening Tool that allows users to identify potential EJ or overburdened communities. MDE’s EJ Screening Tool is intended to enhance agency compliance, oversight, monitoring, and to enhance communication and outreach in areas with permitting activities in EJ or overburdened communities, or underserved communities
Funding Availability
The funding partners anticipate funds available in FY23 as follows:
- Up to $950,000 is expected to be available for awards.
Project Timeline
Projects must be constructed within 2 years upon receipt of the award.
Eligible Project Types
The following project types will be considered in order of priority:
- Nontidal wetland restoration: defined as a project to recreate a wetland in an area where a wetland historically existed.
- Nontidal wetland creation: defined as a project to create a wetland in an area where no wetlands previously existed. Creation projects that require extensive grading may not be ranked highly.
- Nontidal wetland enhancement: defined as improving the wetland function of an existing wetland. The highest ranked wetland enhancements will be to farmed wetlands, partially drained wetlands, and wetlands with threatened or endangered species. Most other wetland enhancement projects will not be ranked highly.
- Wetland preservation: defined as protecting existing wetlands. Preservation will only be funded if it is a relatively small part of a project package that includes wetland restoration or creation.
Eligible Applicants
MDE and the Trust welcome requests from not-for profit organizations, for-profit entities, and government agencies.
For more information, visit Nontidal Wetlands Awards.
