$35K Wildlife Grant Given To Cecil County

From Cecil County: Dewberry Engineers Inc. (Dewberry), in partnership with Cecil County’s Department of Public Works Stormwater Management Division was awarded a $35,000 grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The funding will be used through February 28, 2019 to strengthen the County’s capacity for outreach and education to municipal employees and county residents by enhancing existing efforts to increase awareness about the importance of local water quality and the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

The project will strengthen partnerships between the County Government, Cecil County Public Schools (CCPS), Cecil County municipalities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and will provide educational materials where they have been unavailable previously. Anticipated deliverables include the development of an employee training program for targeted County employees, CCPS maintenance staff, and employees of municipalities within the County; the development of operation and maintenance guidelines for stormwater best management practices; and enhancement of the Cecil County Watershed Stewards Academy program. These deliverables will assist the County in reaching its Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) goals as well as satisfying requirements of the Phase II National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.

The project is funded through a grant received by Dewberry under the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF) Technical Capacity Grants Program, supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction grants program, which support efforts with the Chesapeake Bay watershed to accelerate nutrient and sediment reductions with innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective approaches.

The Technical Capacity Grants Program provides grants to applicants (such as Dewberry) acting on behalf of eligible beneficiaries (such as Cecil County) for delivery of technical services that enhance the capacity of local partners to implement high-impact and cost-effective on-the-ground restoration efforts. The County is providing a $7,200 in-kind match for the project in the form of staff time.

For additional information regarding the County’s Stormwater Management Division, please contact Van Funk at vfunk@ccgov.org or by phone at 410-996-5265.

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