EASTON, Md. - The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and The Environmental Protection Agency awarded $33.8 Million towards Chesapeake Bay conservation and restoration.
Several other organizations across the watershed states were awarded grants, but the Oyster Recovery Partnership was awarded $471,000 of that sum. And according to the Executive Director, Ward Slacum, that money will be put towards a coalition to restore the oyster population in the Eastern bay between St. Michaels and Kent Island. "It's a grant that we will be developing a coalition of partners and stakeholders to define goals and objectives for enhancing the oyster population in the Eastern bay, in Maryland on the Eastern Shore," says Slacum.
Slacum says, "We get to apply all of our lessons that we've learned and a lot of the work we've done over time to work with all these sectors that are stakeholders in the oyster production. It's not just restoration. It's also the public fishery and promoting aquaculture in the Eastern bay and working with them to develop a long-term plan to restore this estuary."
Slacum added, "There's also some in the water work that's planned. That'll be at putting more oysters down in sanctuaries in Eastern bay. There's some mapping that's going on that's mapping the distribution of oysters within that system, as well."
The partnership applied for this grant in April. So, no time will be wasted in starting their program by January. Slacum says they want to bring all stakeholders together.
"The waterman, aquaculturists, those who practice restoration. We're a community. What we're hoping is that by coming together, as a coalition, we're going to be able to share resources, ideas, implement those in Eastern bay, that will benefit every sector that has a stake in the oyster production," says Slacum.
Jeff Harrison, local waterman and President of Talbot Fisheries Association, says the project could be productive. Harrison says, "There's a lot that's going to be going on there. It's really good to have all of the groups together, finally. Instead of trying to go against one another, we're trying to work together."
Slacum says this will be a two-year-long project.
Funding the future of the Chesapeake Bay.