PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has awarded $19.3 million in 2024 Countywide Action Plan (CAP) Implementation Grants. The grants have been allocated to various county teams across Pennsylvania’s share of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, bolstering their efforts to restore the health of local streams, rivers, and lakes.
DEP Interim Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley praised the program’s success in enhancing projects that restore Pennsylvania’s water bodies. Since 2021, funded initiatives have ranged from streambank tree plantings to livestock crossing installations.
Nutrient pollution, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, can cause algal blooms that block sunlight, affecting underwater grasses crucial for aquatic life. Sediment pollution, like soil runoff, can smother creatures living at the bottom of rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay.
Pennsylvania, along with other jurisdictions in the watershed, is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to lower its nutrient and sediment pollution levels by 2025. The state must reduce nitrogen by 34.13 million pounds and phosphorus by 750,000 pounds.
The 2024 CAP Implementation Grant round received applications for 226 projects. These projects, which will be completed in the next 12 to 18 months, are estimated to reduce over 170,000 pounds/year of nitrogen, 122,000 pounds/year of phosphorus, and 36.3 million pounds/year of sediment.
Among the county teams receiving the 2024 CAP Implementation Grant are Adams County Conservation District ($511,926), Bedford County Conservation District ($121,239), and Berks County Conservation District ($184,855). The Lancaster County Conservation District received the largest grant, amounting to $4,020,072.
The DEP’s Annual Reports and monthly Healthy Waters e-newsletter showcase projects funded by previous CAP grants. This initiative is part of Pennsylvania’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development, offering a promising prospect for future investments in the region’s ecological health.
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