EPA Awards $2.6 million to Protect Mid-Atlantic Region Wetlands. West Virginia is Among Six Projects to be Funded

From EPA:

EPA Awards $2.6 million to Protect Mid-Atlantic Region Wetlands. West Virginia is Among Six Projects to be Funded

DOVER (October 1, 2014) – EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin announced today at an event in Dover, Delaware, that EPA’s Mid Atlantic Region has awarded a total of $2,642,270 in Wetland Program Development Grants to six recipients.

The West Virginia Department of Natural Resources (WVDNR) was one of the recipients and will receive $700,000 to develop a wetland functional assessment protocol for assessing impacts to wetlands. The WVDNR will also evaluate success in mitigating those impacts and evaluate wetland status statewide.

“Wetlands are one of our nation’s most unique ecosystems and they play a significant role in protecting our nation’s water supply,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “West Virginia continues to advance wetland science which is essential for protecting and restoring these valuable resources and keeping our lakes, rivers and streams clean.”

The Clean Water Act recognizes the dangers of having pollution upstream. As water flows downstream, it carries pollutants with it. And because wetlands are instrumental in eliminating pollution, they have a huge impact on water downstream.

Grant recipients also included the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control ($443,233), Penn State University ($668,764), Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources ($400,000), the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences ($392,773) and the Maryland Department of Environment ($37,500).

Wetland Program Development Grants are used to build and refine comprehensive wetland programs, with priority given to funding projects that address the three priority areas identified by the EPA: developing a comprehensivemonitoring and assessment program; improving the effectiveness of compensatory mitigation; and refining the protection of vulnerable wetlands and aquatic resources.

For more information about the wetlands grant program, go to:http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/wetlands/grantguidelines/index.cfm