EPA awards $300,000 to West Virginia for wetlands protection

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA awards $300,000 to West Virginia for wetlands protection

PHILADELPHIA (October 7, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $299,362 grant today to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to support wetlands protection.

"Wetlands are an important component of West Virginia's environment, which contribute greatly to the state's ability to protect water quality and natural resources," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Acting Regional Administrator Diana Esher. "By supporting wetlands protection, EPA is partnering with West Virginia to help sustain healthy and resilient aquatic resources throughout the state."

West Virginia will use the funding to for training and partnership-building to ensure maximum benefit from new wetland monitoring and assessment tools. Funding will also be used to update wetlands mapping for 23 counties and for public outreach designed to encourage community involvement in citizen science and wetland protection.  

The funds were provided through EPA’s Wetland Program Development Grant program, which enables state, local and tribal governments to conduct a range of projects that promote research and pollution reduction efforts related to wetlands.

For more information on the program, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/wetland-program-development-grants-and-epa-wetlands-grant-coordinators

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