Virginia

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Establishing Builders Institute to Expand Capacity for Clean Water (multiple states)
Increase regional capacity to implement watershed restoration and conservation projects more efficiently and effectively by establishing a Chesapeake Capacity Builders Institute. Project will engage 130 watershed stewardship leaders in piloting efforts to build and enhance collective watershed project management.
$399,093

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Nature-based Infrastructure Improvements to Richmond’s Blackwell Playground (VA)
Implement nature-based infrastructure practices to enhance recent improvements at Blackwell Playground in Richmond’s Blackwell neighborhood. Project will improve water quality and reduce local heat island impacts through community engagement alongside trust community partners.
$500,000

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Jump-starting Organic Valley’s Dairy Sustainability Strategy in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (MD, NY, PA, VA)
Partner with Organic Valley to provide cost-effective agricultural conservation practices to manage agricultural runoff, improve water quality and wildlife habitat, and address climate change on organic dairy farms in the Bay watershed. Project will restore 5 miles of riparian habitat and engage an additional 200 volunteers in implementing on-farm conservation practices.
$500,000

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Opening Barn Doors for Clean Water and Healthy Cows (VA)
Assist dairy farmers with developing and implementing conservation plans alongside partner with the Maryland Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, and local soil and water conservation districts. Project will work with farmers in the Shenandoah Valley to install riparian forest buffers and upland forest plantings, stream exclusion fencing, rooftop runoff controls, manure management, and nutrient management plans.
$500,000

Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley
Accelerating Riparian and Upland Best Management Practices to Improve Water Quality in Virginia
Accelerate the installation and maintenance of riparian and upland best management practices to improve water quality in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Project will establish innovative demonstration farms, share implementation costs, provide technical support, and use data and local knowledge to evaluate other watersheds in order to replicate the coordinated Smith Creek Watershed Partnership approach to improving water quality.
$999,988

Boxerwood Education Association
Boxerwood Watershed and Wetland Restoration and Planning (VA)
Collaborate with experts to develop a comprehensive plan for managing excess stormwater runoff at the Boxerwood Education Association’s nature center and woodland garden in Lexington, Virginia.
$63,463

Center for Watershed Protection
Scaling Up Biochar Applications for Runoff Reduction in Chesapeake Bay (multiple states)
Accelerate the rate and scale at which biochar amendments are applied in the urban landscape to support runoff reduction and improved water quality across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Project will secure new partners for widespread use of biochar amendments and provide technical assistance on sourcing and using certified biochar in a variety of urban applications.
$699,509

Central Virginia Planning District Commission
Middle James River Preservation Plan (VA)
Provide the foundation for a science and engineering-based evaluation of practices that can be employed to reduce the impacts of stormwater, sedimentation, streambank erosion in Amherst County, Virginia. Project will result in a plan that will include at least five priority projects or programs and include associated cost estimates, stakeholder partners, and funding mechanisms.
$75,000

Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Building Plan for Virginia’s Freshwater Mussels
Increase habitat connectivity and quality for at-risk and federally listed populations of native freshwater mussels by working with partners to create a Mussel Richness Map for Virginia and a Conservation Buffer Layer that will prioritize buffer placement to best enhance mussel habitat. Project will convene partners to showcase these new tools and resources and facilitate coordination in support of freshwater mussel restoration and ongoing water quality restoration initiatives.
$73,764

Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Expanding Rotational Grazing (MD, PA, VA, WV)
Expand the adoption of rotational grazing practices among dairy and livestock operations in the Shenandoah Valley, western and central Maryland, and southcentral Pennsylvania. Project will utilize conservation and farm networks to improve grazing management on 1,200 acres.
$493,780

Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Greening Faith Places, Community Spaces (VA)
Enhance water quality improvement efforts in Central Virginia through tree planting on public lands, job training for at-risk youth, and partnering with houses of worship to plan, design, and install nature-based infrastructure practices on congregational properties. Project will engage 160 volunteers and improve stormwater management for more than 3 acres.
$467,202

City of Richmond
Restoring Pine Camp Creek (VA)
Educate and engage students and the public about enhancing a watershed through planting riparian vegetation in a rain garden/bioswale near a degraded stream corridor. Project will create a field station for weekly water quality monitoring to involve students in citizen science and stream restoration, and will educate and inform park visitors about stream corridor reconstruction.
$28,357

College of William and Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Eastern Shore Barrier Island Stabilization and Marsh Habitat Engineering (VA)
Develop final engineering design plans for 217-acres of marsh restoration and expansion along southern Cedar Island, Virginia to enhance backbarrier marsh and lagoon habitat to improve rural community resilience. Project will secure permitting and provide outreach on the Eastern Shore.
$310,309

College of William and Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Enhanced the RecFish Mobile Application in Response to Stakeholder Input - II (MD, VA)
Enhance the functionality of the RecFish mobile application and database in response to stakeholder input. Project will develop features that allow invasive species alerting and reporting and facilitate more accurate reporting by recreational anglers and charter boat captains to continue effectively engaging recreational fishermen and managers.
$315,382

Defensores de la Cuenca
Expanding Spanish-Language Watershed Stewardship in the Patapsco and Anacostia Watersheds (MD)
Expand La Academia, a paid adult watershed training and stewardship program delivered in Spanish, in the Anacostia and Patapsco River watersheds. Project will pair culturally relevant education with hands-on experiences and culminate in completion of individually led stormwater improvement projects in local communities.
$465,467

Ducks Unlimited
Accelerating Wetland Conservation for Black Duck on the Delmarva Peninsula (DE, MD, VA)
Support a Working Lands for Wildlife Farm Bill Biologist to continue and expand outreach efforts such as workshops and publications to reach a broader range of agricultural producers including those identified as historically underserved. Project will extend an existing partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to maximize landowner participation in NRCS wetland conservation program to benefit black ducks on the Delmarva Peninsula.
$100,000

Ducks Unlimited
Enhancing Waterfowl Management Capacity at Doe Creek Wildlife Management Area (VA)
Enhance water management capabilities at Doe Creek Wildlife Management Area on Virginia’s Eastern Shore through new water control structures and resilience improvements. Project will improve management of 147 acres of tidal wetlands for waterfowl and recreational benefit.
$476,432

ecoLatinos
Nature-based Infrastructure Training for Latino Landscape Professionals of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (DC, MD, VA)
Develop and implement a culturally relevant Spanish language nature-based infrastructure training for landscape professionals across Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Project will train 36 professionals and serve as a replicable model for engaging new communities in regional watershed restoration efforts.
$252,746

Forest Landowners Association
Engaging Large-Scale Landowners for Longleaf Pine Restoration (Multiple States)
Establish 2,500 acres of longleaf pine and improve 5,500 acres of existing longleaf forest with prescribed fire on large-acreage private lands within the historical longleaf pine range. Project will address barriers to restoring longleaf pine on large-acreage private lands by building trust among stakeholders to achieve collaborative conservation for at-risk and listed species, and providing technical and financial assistance to support planting and management of longleaf pine.
$250,000

Friends of the Rappahannock
Accelerate Water Quality Improvement in the Rappahannock River Watershed (VA)
Cultivate the growth, participation, and capacity of the Rappahannock River Roundtable partnership and measurably accelerate the geographic scale of implementation for priority conservation and water quality improvement practices in the Rappahannock River Watershed. Project will increase the participation and accessibility of cost-share programs and project implementation through financial incentives, inclusion of the carbon market, increased technical assistance, and enhanced outreach.
$999,378

Friends of the Rappahannock
Rappahannock River Oyster Restoration (VA)
Increase capacity and implementation efforts to restore oyster populations in Virginia’s Rappahannock River. Project will restore 25 acres of oyster reef and plant more than one million oysters through engagement of local schools and businesses, nonprofits and research institutes, and volunteers.
$499,641

Groundwork RVA
Greening of Highland Park (VA)
Improve community engagement of Richmond’s Highland Park neighborhood in planned greening efforts. Project will add to the tree canopy both at street level and in community green spaces, including small-scale urban forests, and demonstrate that disparate impacts from the urban heat island effect are not an inevitable outcome for low-and-moderate income communities.
$75,000

Hampton Roads Planning District Commission
Engaging Industrial Properties in Water Quality Improvement for the Elizabeth River (VA)
Pilot implementation, maintenance, and verification of water quality improvement and flood reduction practices on industrial lands in the Elizabeth River watershed. Project will provide a model for expanded engagement of industrial land owners in voluntary contributions to Hampton Roads clean water and climate resilience goals.
$490,603

James River Association
Establishing a Freshwater Mussel Restoration Plan in the James River Basin (VA)
Create a James River Basin Freshwater Mussel Restoration Plan that will serve as an important tool for state government departments, federal agencies, nonprofits, and funders in mussel restoration efforts in the James River. Project will provide for a proactive restoration plan to guide planting activities, to identify areas for further surveys and investigation, and establish strategic restoration objectives for the James.
$51,818

James River Association
Petersburg Battlefield Flood Remediation and Drainage Improvements (VA)
Engage the Petersburg’s Lakemont neighborhood in planning and design work associated with the Petersburg Battlefield Flood Remediation and Drainage Improvements project. Project will support efforts to alleviate detrimental flooding caused by stormwater through the design and implementation of engineered solutions.
$75,000

Lower Shore Land Trust
Implementing the Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Network Strategic Plan
Support the coordination of the Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Network (DRCN), a cross-sector collaborative working to address habitat loss, climate resiliency, under-resourced communities, and water quality improvement on the Delmarva Peninsula. Project will directly support implementation of the Network’s Conservation and Restoration Strategic Action Plan.
$38,382

Manomet
Coordinating American Oystercatcher Recovery and Conservation along the Atlantic Coast (multiple states)
Coordinate the American Oystercatcher recovery initiative, conduct a range-wide aerial survey to count all wintering oystercatchers along the Southeast Atlantic and Gulf coasts (United States), and reduce the impact of predators and human disturbance on populations of coastal breeding shorebirds. Project will support the goals of the Atlantic Flyway Business Plan by creating a framework for long-term protection, restoration, and creation of shorebird habitat at key sites.
$205,000

Manomet
Western Atlantic Flyway Whimbrel Conservation Program (Multiple States)
Expand on efforts to coordinate conservation and monitor declining whimbrel populations using the western Atlantic Flyway. Project will increase coordination of whimbrel partners working throughout the flyway, address information gaps on whimbrel ecology and demography, and continue development of a monitoring program built around night roosts.
$120,000

Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission
Empowering Veterans to Engage in Coastal Resiliency (VA)
Develop and formalize a partnership between the Middle Peninsula Chesapeake Bay Public Access Authority and Knott Alone-Hold Fast to utilize military veterans to address existing gaps in the local climate resilience and ecosystem restoration workforce.
$75,001

Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission
Resilience-Based Shoreline Protection and Habitat Restoration on Hog Island (VA)
Install a nature-based shoreline protection and habitat restoration project along Hog Island in Gloucester County, Virginia. Project will protect and enhance habitat for shorebirds, oysters, and other species, and protect vulnerable communities at risk from shoreline erosion and coastal storms.
$499,999

NDPonics
Short Hills Wetland Assessment (VA)
Develop a wetland assessment and restoration and management plan for a indigenous-owned mountaintop forestland in Rockbridge County, Virginia. Project will provide essential data for critical future implementation efforts aimed at restoring wetland conditions to protect endangered species and migratory bird habitat while also preventing future aquatic ecosystem failure.
$75,000

National Wildlife Federation
Building and Advancing Capacity of Chesapeake Nonprofits to Accelerate Water Quality Improvements (multiple states)
Coordinate efforts to create a more inclusive and diverse Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration movement and support regional and watershed-wide convenings to improve collaboration and impact among nearly 300 nonprofits working towards Bay restoration.
$286,543

Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission
River Heroes Pilot Program (VA)
Provide resources and social incentives for individuals, organizations, businesses, and municipalities to adopt practices that reduce nonpoint source pollution and support water quality in Shenandoah County. Project will perform formative research needed to understand our target audiences, design an effective social marketing strategy for each audience, define target behaviors, and develop tailored outreach and program materials for each audience.
$74,634

Randolph-Macon College
Developing Best Practices to Enhance Critical Beach Habitat and Community Resilience (VA)
Determine the effects of shoreline stabilization methods on beach habitat and educate relevant stakeholders about the benefits of shoreline management strategies that can enhance both communities and ecosystems. Project will help conserve critical beach habitat for the federally threatened Northeastern beach tiger beetle and increase resilience of Chesapeake Bay beaches and coastal communities.
$72,506

Rappahannock Tribe of Virginia
Conserving Indigenous Rappahannock Ancestral Lands at Fones Cliffs on the Rappahannock River (VA)
Acquire 484 acres of indigenous ancestral homelands on the Rappahannock River at Fones Cliffs to conserve it as a natural area and use for educational purposes befitting the Tribe and the public. Project will protect wetland and forest habitat adjacent to other projected lands to benefit breeding and migratory habitat for bald eagles, ospreys, and waterfowl.
$500,000

Rivanna Conservation Alliance
Improve Resilience of Riparian Forests in the Urban Corridor of the Rivanna River (VA)
Organize and implement a coordinated effort among nonprofits, local governments, and community stakeholders to improve riparian forest resilience in the urban corridor of the Rivanna River. Project will result in improved management of 130 acres of riparian forests across three urban river parks.
$339,979

Rolling Ridge Conservancy
Protecting and Restoring Forest and Grasslands at the Virginia-West Virginia Border
Implement a forest stewardship plan and grassland restoration on 1,795 acres of forest and floodplain along the Shenandoah River at the Virginia-West Virginia border. Project will permanently protect 100 acres and convert an additional 60 acres of turf and invasive plants to native grassland habitat.
$265,000

Ruffed Grouse Society
Dynamic Forest Restoration to Support Wildlife in Southwest Virginia
Plan a dynamic forest restoration block and implement active forest management to aid in the recovery of focal wildlife populations in southwest Virginia. Project will implement forest management that results in a mosaic of mixed-aged forests that support a diversity of bird and wildlife species on state and private lands.
$199,928

Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District
Expanding Manure Injection as a Standard Application Method on Virginia Dairy Farms
Expand the adoption of manure injection as a standard approach to better applying manure nutrients for agricultural production and water quality benefits through trusted local agricultural conservation partners. Project will result in 4,500 cropland acres under improved nutrient management.
$499,991

Smithsonian Institution
Piedmont Grassland Bird Initiative to Guide and Strengthen Working Lands Conservation in Virginia
Enhance collective capacity to better manage agricultural lands in Virginia as habitat for grassland birds through enhanced regional conservation planning, consistent landowner messaging across local conservation partners, and applied research to understand and improve ongoing efforts. Project will improve grassland habitat management on 3,000 acres across the Virginia Piedmont and Shenandoah Valley and permanently protect 600 acres of critical grassland habitat.
$499,985

Sustainable Chesapeake
Farmer-Led Innovations in Cover Cropping (VA)
Expand the adoption of cover crops among Virginia farms by demonstrating and evaluating innovative technologies that reduce time and input costs associated with cover cropping systems. Project will result in 7,580 acres of new cover crops planted across Virginia.
$499,837

Sustainable Chesapeake
Improving Nutrient Management Programs through Collaboration (multiple states)
Improve nutrient management program delivery by facilitating collaboration among nutrient management leaders throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. Project will improve collaboration among land grant universities in the region, working across state lines with those leading the development of agricultural nutrient management recommendations across the watershed.
$65,910

The Corps Network
Engaging Young People in Conservation (VA)
Advance both Conservation Corps development and expansion across the Forest Service and sister land management agencies. Project will enroll a young, talented person to provide critical staff capacity will advance two essential priorities for the Service – climate and engaging diverse citizens in conservation action.
$75,100

The Elizabeth River Project
Establishing a Model for Restoration of Urban Tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay (VA)
Explore creative approaches to motivate sustainable engagement of environmentally and economically vulnerable communities in equitable restoration of urban tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. Project will implement ten on-the-ground projects such as living shorelines, rain gardens, conservation landscaping and tree plantings in the targeted communities to reduce pollutants.
$999,971

The Elizabeth River Project
Uniting the Community to Develop the Knitting Mill Creek Eco-Corridor (VA)
Establish the Knitting Mill Creek Eco-Corridor along one of the Elizabeth River’s most impacted urban tributaries. Project will engage local homeowners and businesses to adopt nature-based infrastructure and coastal resilience practices, implement showcase restoration projects at the Elizabeth River Project’s Ryan Resilience Lab, and engage Norfolk State University to support enhanced community outreach and engagement in the surrounding community.
$500,000

The Nature Conservancy
Adaptation and Resilience Plan for Oyster (VA)
Address the diversity of assets in Oyster Village to increase coastal resilience and protection for the community and its culture, preserve natural habitat and use nature-based solutions where possible. Project will facilitate a collaborative partnership with the community, stakeholders and an engineering consultant to identify risk, characterize that risk to community assets, develop action plan and rank projects and estimate costs.
$243,630

Trout Unlimited
Accelerating Water Quality Improvements and Supporting Conservation Collaboratives (MD, PA, VA, WV)
Support restoration efforts and the assessment and further development of conservation collaboratives, programs, and services within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed region. Project will result in improved water quality in focal watersheds, increased capacity to deliver watershed scale conservation services in the region, engagement of future environmental stewards, and the long-term monitoring and maintenance of conservation projects.
$979,739

Trout Unlimited
Eastern Brook Trout Habitat Assessments for Strongholds in the South Branch of Potomac (VA, WV)
Fill data gaps in brook trout presence, aquatic organism passage, and instream and riparian habitats to further watershed restoration plans for brook trout strongholds in the South Branch and the North Fork of the South of the Potomac. Project will improve understanding of brook trout patch dynamics, an updated data set for aquatic organism passage project prioritization, and regional watershed scale restoration plans to further prioritize restoration efforts.
$74,847

Trout Unlimited
Habitat and Fish Passage Assessments in Virginia Brook Trout Stronghold Focal Areas
Fill data gaps in eastern brook trout strongholds of the Upper Jackson River, the Upper Cowpasture River, and the Upper North Fork Shenandoah River in Virginia. Project will assess fish passage at nearly 200 road stream crossings, conduct biological surveys and data analysis for more than 60 catchments to determine the presence or absence of brook trout, and measure stream temperatures and instream habitat quality in reaches of streams most heavily impacted by agricultural land use.
$74,515

Trout Unlimited
Improving Aquatic Organism Passage for Brook Trout in the Upper North Fork Shenandoah River (VA)
Enhance and increase eastern brook trout populations in the Upper North Fork of the Shenandoah River. Project will reconnect 21 miles of high quality headwaters habitat by removing two barriers to fish movement and unite two fragmented habitat patches into a larger, more resilient unit.
$252,450

Trout Unlimited
Reconnecting and Restoring Brook Trout Strongholds in the South Branch of the Potomac River (VA, WV)
Enhance and increase Eastern brook trout populations in the South Branch of the Potomac River in Virginia and West Virginia. Project will reconnect 16 miles of high-quality headwaters habitat and restore nearly 9 miles of riparian habitat through livestock exclusion and riparian forest buffers.
$495,342

Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe
Restoring and Stewarding the Ancestral Watershed of the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe (VA)
Restore and steward the recently reacquired lands of the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe in King William County through conservation design and implementation of aquatic ecosystem restoration efforts. Project will implement 115 acres of agricultural conservation practices to improve water quality and habitat and restore a half mile of stream habitat.
$500,000

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Road to Recovery
Develop and oversee a process for the recovery of ESA-listed birds and promote targeted and actionable science to recover populations. Project will increase effectiveness and efficiency of implementation of conservation actions and ensure the best available natural and social science research is incorporated into conservation and management plans to recover species.
$300,000