EPA News: EPA awards $287,000 to Virginia to support wetlands projects

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EPA awards $287,000 to Virginia to support wetlands projects

PHILADELPHIA (Nov. 3, 2020) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced two grants totaling a $287,250 to enhance Virginia’s wetlands program.

“Wetlands are an important component of Virginia’s environment, which contribute greatly to the state’s ability to protect water quality and natural resources,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. “This award is a great example of the effective partnership between federal and local agencies to protect and restore Virginia’s wetlands.”

One grant for $151,531 goes to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to support its online Wetlands Condition Assessment Tool (WetCAT) that can be used by to the agency and the general public to identify wetlands and areas that may be suited for wetlands mitigation or restoration.

The second grant for $135,719 goes to the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) for a project entitled, “Strategy Development to Enhance the Conservation and Adaptation of Virginia Coastal Wetlands under Climate Change.”  This project includes public outreach, accessing bird habitats and identifying marsh areas impacted by sea level rise.

More information on the Virginia’s wetlands projects can be found at: http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/WetlandsStreams/MonitoringAssessmentStrategy.aspx

The funds were provided through EPA’s Wetland Program Development Grant program, which enables state, local and tribal governments to conduct a range of projects that promote research and pollution reduction efforts related to wetlands.

For more information on the EPA program, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetland-program-development-grants-and-epa-wetlands-grant-coordinators.

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