Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Pennsylvania Executive Director, Matthew J. Ehrhart Tuesday issued this statement following the National Fish and Wildlife Federation’s public announcement of grant awards through the “2012 Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund.”

CBF’s Pennsylvania office is receiving a grant for the proposal “Technical Assistance for New and Re-enrolling PA CREP Buffers.”

“We are honored to be receiving a Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund grant, and appreciate NFWF’s continued commitment to improving water quality locally and in the Chesapeake Bay.

“The goal of our project is to improve water quality in 20 south-central PA counties and the Chesapeake Bay by installing nearly 400 acres of new streamside forested buffers, and assisting landowners in their efforts to maintain existing buffers. Both new and existing forested buffers are installed through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).

“Since 2000, CBF staff have assisted thousands of Pennsylvania landowners with the installation CREP forested buffers.  Our forested buffer restoration program is central to achieving progress on Pennsylvania’s Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP), which calls for 38,000 new acres of forested buffers by the end of 2013.

“CBF is committed to working with the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service and other partners to assist landowners throughout the process, and to do our best to continue the successes of forested buffers. Reducing pollution by installing buffers will create jobs and benefit local economies. Restoring clean water will not just benefit us, it will benefit our children and future generations.”

9/3/2012