State officials allocate over $30 million for major projects to protect Chesapeake Bay: 'A major economic engine for the region'

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced it is awarding $35.8 million for ecological restoration projects at 122 sites across the state.

The money comes from the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, and the projects are set to improve water quality and habitat in the Chesapeake Bay watershed while building climate resilience, the agency says.

For instance, the Lower Shore Land Trust will use its grant to complete wetland and habitat restoration on an abandoned golf course. Meanwhile, the Western Maryland Resource Conservation and Development Council plans to establish native forests on around 280 acres of private and public land in four counties.

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"The Trust Fund has long been a leading tool for community-based reductions of pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay, and remains a vital part of our updated strategy for Bay restoration," Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz said in a statement.

The improvements will help to protect vulnerable communities from the impacts of a warming planet, provide economic and recreational opportunities, and help bolster habitat and wildlife populations, according to Kurtz.

Rising global temperatures are increasing air temperatures in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, leading to warming water temperatures, according to NOAA. The region can expect an additional 1.3 to 5.2 feet of sea level rise over the next century, the agency added, explaining that these changes threaten coastal communities and aquatic life.

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"The Chesapeake Bay's coastal communities are a major economic engine for the region. They support commercial and recreational fishing, desirable living areas, and major recreational opportunities," NOAA says. "Immediate and potentially life-threatening events such as hurricanes, as well as long-term issues like recurrent tidal flooding, pose real challenges to both safety and the economy."

Maryland isn't the only state funding such restoration work. For instance, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife recently awarded $10 million to habitat restoration projects across the state through its Private Forest Accord Grant Program. Plus, the National Park Service announced a plan to restore up to 4,000 acres of grasslands in 37 national parks across 15 eastern states.