Philadelphia, PA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today it has awarded $1,080,000 to the Chesapeake Conservancy so that it can update and improve land use data critical to Chesapeake Bay Restoration.

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“This project will give states, counties and local jurisdictions critical information on how the landscape is changing over time and how these changes impact progress towards achieving restoration of local waters and the Chesapeake Bay,” said EPA Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio.  “It will also provide more accurate information about how water moves through the landscape which will help the partners plan restoration efforts.”

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“The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) Partnership is at the national forefront of data-driven conservation and restoration,” said Chesapeake Conservancy President & CEO Joel Dunn.   “Our work together is creating consistent and comprehensive information that leverages the latest technology and advances strong public and private partnerships. Chesapeake Conservancy is proud to help empower stewardship, from the smallest non-profits to state and federal agencies, and bring our common goal of a healthier and sustainable Chesapeake that much closer."

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The Chesapeake Conservancy, working with project partners and the CBP will provide state and local jurisdictions updated, high-resolution, high-quality data about changes to landscapes and the locations of headwaters streams and other water features to support continued progress in the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and local waters within its watershed.

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It will also provide:

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• Detailed information on streams that is critical to understanding how water moves through the landscape and where restoration efforts could be located;

• Optimal siting for best management practices for maximizing water quality benefits;

• Tracking and reporting tools for partners to streamline project implementation; and,

• Mapping support to help partners integrate geospatial data into restoration efforts.

Partners involved in this effort include: University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Laboratory, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Drexel University Academy of Natural Sciences, and Chesapeake Commons.

The projects undertaken as part of this agreement support the goals of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed agreement.

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For more information about this agreement, please visit: https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/what_guides_us/watershed_agreement