Grants to Virginia nonprofit organizations and state and local government agencies to promote the protection of water resources in eligible locations. Funding is intended to support preservation and restoration projects as well as education projects that increase public awareness and knowledge about the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

Environmental Education Priorities

The goal of environmental education is to increase public awareness and knowledge about the Bay, resulting in behavioral change. The Committee invites proposals that:

• Supplement and enhance environmental training for educators.
• Expand environmental educational opportunities and the use of existing educational resources (curricula, publications, and field studies) in schools and community programs for students, teachers, and adults.
• Increase the involvement of students and the public in Bay restoration activities.

Conservation and Restoration Priorities

The Committee invites proposals for: 

• Activities that contribute to meeting tributary strategy nutrient reduction goals.
• Practices that protect water quality from nonpoint sources of water pollution resulting from the use of land.
• Projects that enhance and protect tidal fishery habitats.
• Projects that seek to restore tidal fisheries (finfish, crabs, clams, and oysters).
• Projects that focus on the prevention of toxic substances entering the Bay and its tributaries.
• Activities that restore important Bay wetlands and habitat.