Annapolis, MD – Chesapeake Conservancy issued this statement attributable to Chesapeake Conservancy Program Manager Carly Dean following an announcement today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarding $197 million for 41 locally-led conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), including Chesapeake Conservancy and thirteen partners to implement a strategy to rapidly restore agriculturally impaired streams in Central PA.

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“Chesapeake Conservancy is thrilled with today's announcement from USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) that our project was selected for a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) award.

“Together with our partners, we look forward to working with NRCS to support central Pennsylvania farmers to implement conservation practices toward restoring 30 agriculturally-impaired streams by the year 2030.”

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Lead Partner: Chesapeake Conservancy

Lead State: PAPartner States:Award: $9,996,006Funding Pool: CCACCA (if applicable): N/ATotal Partner Contribution Amount: $11,494,983

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Project Summary

Several years of strategic outreach by project partners have set the stage for this project—over 30 agricultural producers in six central Pennsylvania counties stand ready to implement conservation practices and systems that would help address water quality and wildlife habitat concerns for 18 streams listed as impaired under the Clean Water Act. The Chesapeake Conservancy and thirteen partners will work with NRCS to accelerate conservation improvements to work toward eventual delisting of the streams. Nutrient reductions will be modeled to facilitate reporting of project outcomes.

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For more information about the partnership’s work, visit: https://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/precisonconservationinpa/conserve/

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Feature Photo by Fishhawk