Van Hollen Announces $20.8 Million in Grants for Conservation in Maryland

Statement

Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen announced that Maryland will receive $20.8 million in grants for conservation through combined state and national grant programs. $12 million of the funding will come from USDA's Critical Conservation Area funds, which Congressman Van Hollen worked to increase in the latest Farm Bill.

"The projects that are being funded today are critical to protecting the Chesapeake Bay and our agricultural lands," said Congressman Van Hollen. "Farmers in our community are essential partners in the conservation effort, understanding that we must safeguard the land and water to support Maryland's economy now and in the future. By helping them undertake voluntary efforts to stop soil erosion, improve water quality, and restore habitat, we can restore the Chesapeake Bay for generations to come."

Congressman Van Hollen has been a long-time advocate for conservation assistance for farmers in the Bay Watershed, working with his colleagues in 2008 to create the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative to allow farms in the region to implement best management practices to conserve soil and protect water quality. The 2014 Farm Bill built on that program by combining it into a new Regional Conservation Partnership Program that would incentivize public-private partnerships to implement conservation measures. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed was designated as a "Critical Conservation Area" within the program, guaranteeing it a larger share of funding to address the most urgent water restoration needs.

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