The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have awarded the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) two grants through the Chesapeake Watershed Investment for Landscape Defense (Chesapeake WILD) program. Grant funds will support comprehensive conservation strategies including targeted reintroduction efforts for two freshwater fish species listed as species of greatest conservation need within Maryland’s State Wildlife Action Plan. The two species, blackbanded sunfish and eastern brook trout, each require specific habitats with good water quality driven by healthy landscapes. Protecting and restoring the lands and waters these species rely on is critical to their persistence into the future. As part of these two projects, DNR will plant nearly 20,000 trees, which also supports Maryland’s 5 Million Trees initiative. “Through these Chesapeake WILD-funded projects, DNR and its partners will undertake conservation efforts that reconnect and restore aquatic habitat, while engaging communities directly in creating a healthier future for the Chesapeake Bay watershed,” said Coldwater Fisheries Biologist Matt Lawrence. Maryland DNR has been awarded $313,800 and will supply $250,400 in matching funds for the following projects: Building Capacity for Rare Freshwater Fish Conservation in the Chesapeake Bay, $86,300 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and partners seek to prevent the loss […]
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