New Program for Chesapeake Bay Wildlife Secures Proposed Investment

(ANNAPOLIS, MD)—Today, a new program to protect and restore wildlife habitat throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed took a big step in securing funding. The U.S. House of Representatives proposed $15 million to support the Chesapeake WILD (Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense) program, which was first developed through the America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act.

Chesapeake WILD directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to create a new fish and wildlife habitat protection and restoration program specifically in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The $15 million investment is what the ACE Act authorized for the program and will empower USFWS to focus not just on fish and wildlife habitat in the Bay proper, but everywhere in the 64,000 square-mile watershed which spans parts of six states and all of the District of Columbia. In response, Choose Clean Water Coalition Acting Director Mariah Davis issued the following statement:

"Today is a great day for all the critters and the 18 million people who call the Chesapeake Bay watershed home. We are thrilled to see this proposed investment for the Chesapeake WILD program. With this support, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service can protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat throughout the expansive Chesapeake Bay watershed.

"This funding can support projects such as planting trees along Pennsylvanian rivers, restoring headwater streams in New York and West Virginia, installing fish passages for migratory fish in Virginia, and protecting tidal wetlands in Maryland which serve as critical habitat for migratory waterfowl. All these actions and others like it will have multiple benefits such as improving local water quality, creating habitat for fish and critters, and enhancing nature's resiliency amidst our changing climate.

"We are grateful to Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) for serving as the lead sponsor and co-sponsor of Chesapeake WILD and their support in securing this proposed funding. We are also thankful for the leadership of Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Rep. Dutch Ruppersburger (D-MD), Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD), and Rep. David Trone (D-MD).

"Under the leadership of Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), the lead sponsor and co-sponsor of Chesapeake WILD in the Senate, along with the rest of the Chesapeake Bay Congressional delegation, we look forward to seeing this new program receive similar support and ultimately the many positive impacts the program will have on fish and wildlife habitat throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed."

The Choose Clean Water Coalition is an organization that harnesses the collective power of more than 250 local, state, regional, and national groups to advocate for clean rivers and streams in all communities in the Chesapeake region.

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Media Contact:
Drew Robinson
443-927-8049
RobinsonAQ@nwf.org