In Virginia, three oyster restoration projects will include reef ball construction, oyster reef construction, oyster planting, and other efforts. Oyster restoration sites will be located four tributaries; Lynnhaven River, Lynnhaven River Western Branch , Carter’s Creek, and Urbanna Creek.
The projects are part of a series of grants awarded recently by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support the restoration and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund Oyster Restoration Grants (VA):
Restoration of the Eastern Oyster in the Lynnhaven River
Grantee: Chesapeake Bay Foundation
This project will include the establishment of 2.5 acres of a new oyster reef, construction and planting of 200 reef balls, and planting 5.5 million young oysters in the Lynnhaven River. Conducted in partnership with Lynnhaven River Now, the project will engage approximately 500 volunteers in a wide array of hands-on activities aimed at enhancing the population of native eastern oysters.
Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund Oyster Restoration Grants (VA):
Restoration of the Eastern Oyster in the Lynnhaven River Western Branch
Grantee: Lynnhaven River Now
This project will include the construction of a 3-acre oyster reef using crushed concrete substrate, the first alternative-substrate reef, in the Lynnhaven River. Iin partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the project supports an overall goal of 60 acres reef habitat in the Lynnhaven River.
Oyster, Shoreline, and Stream Restoration in the Rappahannock Tidal Tributaries
Grantee: Friends of the Rappahannock
Projects along Carter’s Creek and Urbanna Creek will include oyster restoration on the river bottom, living shorelines and grasses to reduce shoreline erosion, and green infrastructure to address polluted stormwater runoff. The project will engage schools and community volunteers in restoration work, educating the community about the importance of water quality.
In December 2018, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 49 grants to support the restoration and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in six U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
The grants were awarded through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF), a partnership between NFWF and the EPA’s Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program (INSR Program) and Small Watershed Grants Program (SWG Program).
Additional support is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Altria Group Restoring America’s Resources partnership, and CSX.
source: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation