WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency announced $2.55 million in wetland protection grants to Mid-Atlantic states and universities, targeting conservation and restoration projects designed to improve water quality for the region’s residents, on Sept. 24.
The grants fund wetland preservation and restoration in a region that includes some of the most ecologically significant and threatened coastal wetlands in the eastern United States.
Wetlands provide critical ecosystem services that directly benefit the public, including natural water filtration, flood mitigation and habitat for fish and wildlife. The Mid-Atlantic’s wetlands are particularly important for the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which supplies drinking water and supports commercial fisheries relied upon by millions of residents.
EPA said the grants will support projects across multiple states, working with university research partners and state environmental agencies. The agency did not immediately release the full list of recipients.
The funding comes as coastal wetlands in the Mid-Atlantic face ongoing threats from development, pollution and sea-level rise. Studies have found that the region has lost significant wetland acreage over the past century, diminishing the natural infrastructure that protects communities from flooding and filters pollutants before they reach waterways.
Environmental scientists have described wetland conservation as one of the most cost-effective approaches to improving water quality. Dollar for dollar, wetland restoration delivers greater pollution reduction benefits than many engineered alternatives, according to EPA analyses.
For homeowners and communities in flood-prone areas of the Mid-Atlantic, healthy wetlands serve as natural buffers against storm surge and riverine flooding, reducing the need for costly engineered flood control measures.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has identified wetland loss as one of the most significant factors impeding efforts to restore the bay to ecological health.