Virginia Farmers to Get Resiliency Boost Through Federal Grant

Virginia farmers will get a boost on installing practices aimed at making their land more resilient and friendly to local waterways, thanks to a grant to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) announced Friday.

A separate grant to CBF will help boost oyster restoration and education efforts in the Hampton River. Both were awarded through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Chesapeake Small Watershed Grants Program.

Through practices like creating streamside grass or forested buffers, which filter out nutrients and sediment that pollute downstream waters, and adopting rotational grazing, which boosts soil and plant health, CBF’s work through the first $745,000 grant will help manage agricultural runoff and improve water quality and stream health in the Shenandoah Valley.

“Reducing pollution and runoff from agricultural land is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve the health of rivers and streams in Virginia, along with the Chesapeake Bay,” said Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Watershed Restoration Scientist Matt Kowalski.

“This grant will help us work with partners and farmers to protect streams from livestock, plant streamside trees, and improve soil health through rotational grazing.”

As part of the grant, partners at the Virginia Soil Health Coalition (VSHC) plan to help with outreach to farmers. The Virginia Forage and Grassland Council (VFGC) will also provide learning opportunities for farmers, including a mentoring program and grazing schools.

NFWF’s Chesapeake Small Watershed Grants Program, which promotes efforts to protect and restore habitat in the Bay watershed, is delivered in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Chesapeake Bay Program.

Officials on Friday also announced a grant that will support CBF’s oyster restoration efforts through an initiative in Hampton Roads.

The $737,000 grant will help create roughly 5.5 acres of sanctuary oyster reef in the Hampton River, with a goal of producing 3 million oysters and planting them on new reefs. Oysters are invaluable for the ecosystem in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, filtering water and providing habitat for aquatic life.

“This grant will go a long way toward restoring and preserving oyster habitat in the Hampton River and surrounding areas,” said Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Oyster Restoration Manager Jackie Shannon.

“We’re also proud to work with the community of Hampton and Hampton University to educate and engage residents and students on the value of oyster restoration efforts and native oysters.”

With funding from a previous NFWF grant, CBF has already implemented the addition of 3.5 acres of oyster reef and more than 650,000 baby oysters to the Hampton River as part of this ongoing effort.

Beyond Virginia, CBF is also partnering on a grant award to the Severn River Association, officials also announced Friday. Through that work, CBF will produce and plant 20 million baby oysters on 4 acres of reef habitat in the Severn River in Maryland.

For Pennsylvania, officials announced a grant award to Lancaster Clean Water Partners for farmers to implement management practices like stream buffers to cut pollution in the Upper Conestoga Watershed. CBF is partnering with the group on that effort.