- Program Overview
- Apply for or Manage a GIT Contract
- Awarded Projects
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in this Program
About the Program
The Chesapeake Bay Trust has been designated to receive federal funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of the Chesapeake Bay Program Goal Implementation Team Funding Program. The work funded by this initiative advances outcomes identified in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. Each year, certain outcomes are chosen by the Chesapeake Bay Program as top priorities to address, and these stretch across all Goal Implementation Teams (GIT) and workgroups.
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement contains five themes consisting of 10 goals that will advance the restoration and protection of the Bay watershed. These goals are interrelated: improvements in water quality can mean healthier fish and shellfish; the conservation of land can mean more habitat for wildlife; and a boost in environmental literacy can mean a rise in stewards of the Bay’s resources. Our environment is a system, and these goals will support the health of the public and of the watershed as a whole. Each goal is linked to a set of outcomes, or time-bound and measurable targets that will directly contribute to its achievement. Each outcome has a Management Strategy and Logic & Action Plan which offer insight on how the partnership will achieve each outcome, as well as how we will monitor, assess and report progress toward abundant life, clean water, engaged communities, conserved lands and climate change resilience.
Goal Implementation Teams (GIT)
Sustainable Fisheries (GIT 1)
Goal: Protect, restore and enhance finfish, shellfish and other living resources, their habitats and ecological relationships to sustain all fisheries and provide for a balanced ecosystem in the watershed and Bay.
Vital Habitats (GIT 2)
Goal: Restore, enhance and protect a network of land and water habitats to support fish and wildlife and to afford other public benefits, including water quality, recreational uses and scenic value across the watershed.
Water Quality (GIT 3)
Goal: Reduce pollutants to achieve the water quality necessary to support the aquatic living resources of the Bay and its tributaries and protect human health.
Healthy Watersheds (GIT 4)
Goal: Sustain state-identified healthy waters and watersheds, recognized for their high quality and/or high ecological value.
Stewardship (GIT 5)
Goal: Increase the number and diversity of local stewards and local governments that actively support and carry out the conservation and restoration activities that achieve healthy local streams, rivers and a vibrant Chesapeake Bay.
Enhance Partnering, Leadership, and Management (GIT 6)
Goal: Improve the leadership and management of the CBP and assist watershed partners and stakeholders in building their capacity to become environmental leaders in their community.
Scientific, Technical Assessment, and Reporting (STAR)
Goal: Coordinates the monitoring, modeling and analysis needed to explain and communicate the health of and changes in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.
Strategic Engagement Team
Goal: Provide strategic planning and expert advice to the Bay Program Communications Office with focus on people-oriented actions, such as local engagement, communications, social science, stewardship, diversity, and education.
The Chesapeake Bay Trust has been designated to receive federal funds from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of the Chesapeake Bay Program Goal Implementation Team Funding Program. The work funded by this initiative advances outcomes identified in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. Each year, certain outcomes are chosen by the Chesapeake Bay Program as top priorities to address, and these stretch across all Goal Implementation Teams (GIT) and workgroups.
What this funds: This program funds consultant services to provide technical assistance to support Chesapeake Bay Program goals and outcomes. Specific outcomes from several management goals are identified as top priorities and are listed in the Request for Proposals (RFP). This funding is from the CFDA # 66.466.
Offerors may bid on one or more of the following Scopes of Work:
| Scope # | FFY22 Scope Title | Maximum Bid Amount |
| Scope of Work 4: | Addressing Regional Tree Supply Challenges & Opportunities | $70,000 |
How much can be awarded: A maximum bid amount is listed above for each Scope of Work included in the RFP.
Is match required: Match is encouraged but is not required.
Who can apply: Both not-for profit organizations (academic institutions and non-profits) AND for-profit entities may apply.
Application Process: The Chesapeake Bay Trust’s applications are all submitted though an online system. If you have questions regarding the application process, please contact the Trust Program Manager, Whitney Vong at 410-974-2941, ext. 122 or at wvong@cbtrust.org.
Program Status: CLOSED
Deadline was Monday, October 16, 2023 at 4 pm EDT
Manage an Existing Contract
Manage an existing contract or continue an application
Questions & Technical Support
Whitney Vong
wvong@cbtrust.org
410-974-2941 x122
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the readvertised Scope of Work #4 RFP open to groups outside of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed?
Yes, groups outside of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed are allowed to apply. However, the applicant should demonstrate knowledge/familiarity of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed region, as that is the geographic region of focus for Scope #4.
7120225
Total Awarded Amount
115
Total Projects Awarded
12
Number of Projects Awarded in FFY22
Explore awarded projects made in the GIT Funding Program throughout the years in the table below!
The project information provided includes the scope title, organization name, project description, and links to final reports and products. These tables are updated annually and as projects are closed. If you’d like more information about a project or have any questions, please reach out to program manager Whitney Vong (wvong@cbtrust.org).
| GIT | Scope Title | Organization Name | Award Amount | Project Status | Project Description | GIT Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | Striped Bass Health Indicator Development | EcoAnalytics LLC | $39,200 | Completed 9/30/2015 View Final Report here. | Climate models predict frequency and intensity of rain events in MD will change. Future climate is likely to increase the intensity of rain events. We hypothesize that current rules on design of BMPs and stream restoration may be inadequate to ensure success. We will implement a comprehensive analysis across the state of MD on the range of event intensity and duration under mid- and late-century climate and implications for BMP and restoration design | Howard Townsend |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | Forage Fish Indicator/Metric Development | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) | $49,000 | Completed 1/29/2016 View Final Report here. | Forage species play an integral role in the Chesapeake Bay food web by supporting higher trophic level production. Except for menhaden, many forage species are not directly managed by the ASMFC or Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions, but these species are critical to sustaining economically valuable commercial and recreational fish species in the Bay. Better understanding of the forage base, habitat areas critical for forage production, and predator-prey interactions involving these valuable species would be an important step toward ecosystem-based fisheries management in the Chesapeake Bay. The overarching purpose of this work is to directly address short-term research needs identified in the STAC Forage Workshop. Research needs must relate to one or both of two groups of priority forage species as identified in the workshop: forage species of known concern: (Bay anchovy, mysids, weakfish, spot, mantis shrimp, polychaetes, amphipods and isopods, sand shrimp, Atlantic croaker, razor clams, and macoma spp.) or forage species of probable historical concern, or of likely importance in undersampled environments (menhaden, shad and herring, blue crab, Menidia spp., Fundulus spp.). | Tom Ihde |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee (CBSAC) Research Needs | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) | $81,282.41 | Completed 4/3/2019 View Final Report here. | Each year, the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee (CBSAC) identifies critical research and data needs in their Blue Crab Advisory Report. This project will support multiple CBSAC research needs and improve our understanding of blue crab population dynamics. Research priorities of CBSAC include improved estimates of overwintering mortality, application of other surveys to complement the Winter Dredge Survey and evaluation of gear efficiency estimates. The project should also contribute to Blue Crab Outcomes under the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and the associate management strategy being developed by the Sustainable Fisheries Goal Implementation Team. | Andrew Turner |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | Drivers of Forage Population Trends and Consumption Patterns | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) | $60,000 | Completed 6/27/2018 View Final Report here. View Publication | Evaluating impacts of road salts on stormwater BMPs and mobilization of associated salts, nutrients, and metals remains a challenge. We propose new experiments in the Baltimore-Washington, DC metro area to quantify the effects of different road salts on water quality across stormwater BMPs. We hypothesize that potential for contaminant retention and mobilization is based on the different types of road salts, threshold concentration levels, and stormwater BMP characteristics. We will evaluate effects of different road salts on mobilizing contaminants across stormwater BMPs and monitor salts, nutrients, and metals in nearby stream outfalls in response to deicing events. | Tom Ihde |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | Shell/Habitat Dynamics in Oyster Restoration and Fishery Management | Virginia Institute of Marine Science, School of Marine Science, College of William & Mary | $59,999 | Completed 7/30/2019 View Final Report here. Oyster Mortality Playbook | The proposed effort examines dynamics of shell habitat dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay and its application to proactive oyster restoration and fishery management. Analysis will be based on long term monitoring data from both MD and VA waters and provide location specific estimates of shell required to support management efforts. | Stephanie Westby |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | Evaluation of Environmental Factors Influencing Blue Crab Populations | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) | $49,589.41 | Completed 7/24/2019 View Final Report here. View Publication | Evaluation of environmental factors influencing blue crab populations - The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science proposes to develop and apply probability network models to test hypothesis and quantify the importance of ecosystem effects on the abundance of age-0 blue crab in Chesapeake Bay. This work will help managers rank the importance of a suite of factors that could influence the blue crab population. | Bruce Vogt and Emilie Franke |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | Establishing a Shoreline Condition Metric or Threshold | Virginia Institute of Marine Science, School of Marine Science, College of William & Mary | $80,000 | Completed 11/20/2019 View Final Report here. | Iron occurrence is likely a result of dissolved iron in groundwater infiltration, disturbed soils at lower depths and the combination of the RSC conditions. Using a mesocosm will allow for a controlled experimental environment to directly address the question: Are there direct or indirect effects of iron to the stream macro-invertebrate community? A field study and experiment will complement the mesocosm study by identifying temporal shifts in stream chemistry/hydrology and iron presence at RSC locations (TBD) while monitoring and conducting caged field experiments on representative benthic macroinvertebrate species. | Bruce Vogt |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | Development of a Long-Term Oyster Monitoring Plan | Oyster Recovery Partnership, Inc. | $75,000 | Completed 5/15/2020 View Final Report here. | Analyze high-frequency nitrate and streamflow data from nested watersheds in suburban Baltimore to test how well the treatment train works, how much connectivity between the stream and riparian area will reduce nitrogen, and how impervious area and infiltration practices impact the results. | Stephanie Westby |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | An Ecosystem Approach to Living Shorelines Project Design | Virginia Institute of Marine Science, School of Marine Science, College of William & Mary | $49,994 | Completed 9/22/2020 View Final Report here. | Our project prepared a shovel-ready plan for an ecosystem-based hybrid living shoreline (HLS) design for an eroding shoreline of one partner (Naval Weapons Station Yorktown) in the York River (Penniman Spit), which is applicable to eroding shorelines in the York River and Chesapeake Bay. Using an already made HLS design, we revised it to include ecosystem-based considerations. The HLS is an oyster reef sill and adjacent alternative oyster reefs that will (i) be resilient to climate change, (ii) stimulate recovery of a salt marsh community, (iii) augment oyster restoration efforts in the York River, (iv) create shallow-water habitat through a lagoon for juvenile crabs and fish, (v) protect a vulnerable ecosystem behind the spit, and (vi) serve as a demonstration project easily visible to the public along the Colonial Parkway of the National Park Service, a second partner. | Andrew Larkin |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | Support for Inventory & Evaluation of Environmental and Biological Response Data for Fish Habitat Assessment | Tetra Tech, Inc. | $89,957 | Completed 7/31/2020 View Final Report here. | The Chesapeake Bay Program and its partners are working to develop a comprehensive regional assessment that will inform efforts to conserve and restore fish habitat throughout the Bay watershed. In April 2018, the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee convened a workshop of experts to review the proposed approach and data identified to assess the condition of and primary stressors to fish habitat throughout the Bay’s tidal and non-tidal waters. Under the proposed project, Tetra Tech would assist CBP by identifying additional sources of biological data for the Bay’s tidal habitats, obtaining and evaluating biological and environmental stressor data for tidal areas, and providing metadata and an analysis of data gaps. Results will serve as an important step towards development of a regional Fish Habitat Assessment that will support multiple management needs of the Sustainable Fisheries and Vital Habitats Goal Implementation Teams and Chesapeake Bay partners. | A.K. Leight |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass Nursery Habitat Assessment | Virginia Institute of Marine Science, School of Marine Science, College of William & Mary | $84,989 | Completed 8/4/2022 View Final Report here | Our objectives are to understand conditions in estuarine habitats used by juvenile (ages 0-4) striped bass, and to quantify how changes in availability and condition of these habitats impact the long-term sustainability of the stock. Our methodology comprises 6 tasks: (1) identify key environmental conditions in habitats used by young striped bass; (2) develop habitat suitability models (HSIs) using the key indicators identified in task 1; (3) establish thresholds of suitability based on HSIs, namely 'unsuitable' 'suitable' and 'optimal'; (4) quantify persistence of suitable and optimal habitats; (5) map habitats that support average and higher than average abundance of juvenile striped bass; and (6) assess the relationship between extent of suitable habitats and abundance of juvenile striped bass. | Bruce Vogt |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | Developing Communications and Guidance on Shoreline Protection Options for Coastal Landowners (Living Shoreline Outreach) | Action Research | $49,987 | Completed 2/10/2022 View Final Report here | For the creation of materials for the Bay Protector program implementation (commitment card, flyer, lawn sign, designed case study, guidance for neighbor to neighbor interaction) along with a detailed communication plan on how to implement them, to be used as a toolkit for interested organizations. | Gina Hunt |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | Cost Effective Denitrification Measurement in Oyster Reefs | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) | $80,000 | Completed 3/23/2023 View Final Report here. Capability, Expertise, and Skill Sets Required for Deployment and Field Estimation Lander-Based Denitrification Step-by-Step Field Methods | This project will develop a cost-efficient means of assessing rates of denitrification in on-bottom oyster restoration projects. This will aid in crediting these projects with nitrogen removal as part of the upcoming oyster BMP. The approach to measurement will compensate for the leakage at the bottom of bottom chambers by directly assessing leakage rates and mathematically compensating for them. | Suzanne Bricker |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | Forage Indicator Development – Using Environmental Drivers to Assess Forage Status | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) | $60,000 | Completed 6/27/2022 View Final Report here | Bay anchovy and polychaete data from biological surveys in Chesapeake Bay were used to develop potential indicators of forage status. Further, the relationship between annual indices of abundance of these forage taxa (bay anchovy and polychaetes) and two climate indices, a spring-time warming degree-day index and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, were analyzed and used to develop potential climate-based indicators. | Bruce Vogt |
| Sustainable Fisheries (GIT1) | A Population Simulation Model for Blue Crab Stock Assessment Performance Evaluation | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) | $79,999 | In Progress | To support Scope #9, we propose to develop a Blue Crab Simulation Model (BCSM) that will allow fishery scientists and managers to assess the performance of the current blue crab stock assessment to key uncertainties in both fishery-dependent and fishery-independent sources. The BCSM will be size- and sex-based to track the Chesapeake Bay blue crab population from shortly after megalopae settle in the Bay through spawning. The model will operate on a monthly time step and will have a spatial structure to allow for representation of fishery and population dynamics as well as data collection efforts. We will undertake simulation testing to assess the expected performance of the current assessment model using the BCSM. We will coordinate with with CBSAC and an advisory panel of fishery managers and blue crab experts. | Bruce Vogt |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Accelerate Wetland Restoration in Support of WIPs / GIT Integration | OpinionWorks LLC | $48,982.50 | Completed 5/7/2015 View Final Report here. | Wetland restoration is an outcome in the Chesapeake Bay Agreement, as measured by an indicator tracked by the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP), and is a practice called for in the Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) prepared by the states of the Chesapeake watershed. The current 2025 WIP goal for wetland restoration in agricultural landscapes within the watershed is 106,121 acres. The rate of project funding and implementation needs to be accelerated in order to meet both the WIP targets as well as the goals set in the new Chesapeake Bay Agreement as measured by the CBP indicator. One of the factors most often cited to be a barrier to accomplishing wetland implementation is landowner willingness. The main purpose of the project is to create a plan to better market wetland restoration to landowners. The first task is to identify, among agricultural landowners of > 40 acres who have agreed to allow or pursue wetland restoration on their properties, key interests and benefits driving their decision (perceived barriers and benefits) to allow/pursue these projects; and among landowners who have not agreed to wetland restoration, perceived barriers and benefits to refusing or not pursuing such projects on their lands. The second component of this project will be to create a social marketing plan based on identification of perceived benefits and barriers and pilot-tested messaging methodology within any identified audience segments. | Denise Clearwater |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Culvert Assessments for Fish Passage in Priority Watersheds | Virginia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office | $44,997.28 | Completed 4/3/2017 View Final Report here. | The fish passage work group (FPWG) was successful in prioritizing nearly 5000 dams in the Chesapeake watershed for their potential to benefit anadromous fish. However, the FPWG has little to no information on potential fish blockages due to road crossings. Using the Chesapeake Fish Passage Prioritization Tool, the FPWG has identified priority areas for dam removal projects. Hence, culvert assessments would be focused in these priority areas as a cost savings measure and to conduct targeted restoration. Assessments will be conducted using regional assessment protocol developed by the North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC). Once assessments are complete, the FPWG will pursue funding for design and implementation of retrofits for each of the priority blockages. | Mary Andrews and Serena McClain |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Development of a Decision Support Tool to Inform Black Duck Wintering Habitat Delivery Goals Taking Current and Future Landscape Conditions in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed into Consideration | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | $49,990 | Completed 12/21/2016 View Final Report here. | Development of a decision support tool to inform black duck wintering habitat. Development of a decision support tool that will allow conservation managers to estimate habitat needs and prioritize conservation actions on the ground, to ensure habitat (i.e., food resources) of sufficient quality and quantity to support the wintering black duck population goal. Information is to be provided at multiple spatial scales within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, allowing acreage goals that all partners in the watershed can use to measure and report progress on the watershed-wide black duck goal, in 2-5 year increments. | Gary Costanzo |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Watershed Group and Citizen Monitoring of Fish Habitat/SAV | Waterkeepers Chesapeake | $51,217.70 | Completed 4/19/2018 View Final Report here. | Waterkeepers Chesapeake will serve as the umbrella or coordinator organization on this project for (1) Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy, (2) Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, (3) Severn River Association, (4) James River Association, and (5) Chesapeake Commons. This project will foster the development of four SAV monitoring programs that will collect SAV diversity, abundance, and distribution data, as well as data on forage associated with this and other tributary habitats, while also helping the four watershed organizations meet their own water quality goals. | Brooke Landry and Tom Idhe |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Updates to the Chesapeake Fish Passage Tool | The Nature Conservancy | $69,269 | Completed 10/15/2019 View Final Report here. | This project will update the Chesapeake Fish Passage Prioritization website from its current implementation in Flash to JavaScript, leveraging the modular mapping platform deployed for the new Northeast Aquatic Connectivity web map. Existing data layers including dams and brook trout habitat will be updated and relevant new layers such as stream temperature data will be incorporated. | Mary Andrews |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Increasing Landowner Participation in Wetland Restoration Programs – Website Content and Marketing Strategy Development | Chesapeake Environmental Communications | $46,005 | Completed 12/5/2018 View Final Report here. | Wetlands provide a large range of ecosystem services and are vital components of the overall Chesapeake restoration and protection effort. The Chesapeake Bay Program's (CBP) goal of creating or reestablishing 85,000 acres of wetlands by 2025, with 83,000 of those acres targeted for agricultural lands, cannot be met without significant and timely action by private landowners. Landowners often are unaware of, or intimidated by, the large number of state/federal/nonprofit programs available to support wetland restoration. Chesapeake Environmental Communications proposes a targeted plan to strategically connect landowners with funding and technical support to further CBP goal attainment. | Amy Jacobs |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Assessing Multifunctional Riparian Forest Buffer Benefits | Penns Valley Conservation Association | $63,000 | Completed 1/2/2022 View Final Report here. | The Penns Valley Multifunctional Riparian Forest Buffer Initiative assesses the benefits of two unique multifunctional riparian forest buffers (MFRFB) in one subbasin in Eastern Centre County, Pennsylvania, the Upper Penns Creek Watershed. The assessment for MFRFB will focus on low-cost propagation techniques, maximizing profits, improving water quality, and enhancing habitat. Strategic partnerships and alliance building will help leverage ecological and socio-economic opportunities for MFRFBs. Site designs and a detailed species matrix will accompany a revolving fund framework in assessing the goods and services in the forest product economy landscape, including on-going replication, and maintenance opportunities demonstrated on a subbasin scale. | Matt Keefer |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Targeted Outreach for Wetland Protection and Restoration | The Nature Conservancy | $74,977 | Completed 8/18/20 View Final Report here. | The Nature Conservancy will perform outreach to private landowners to increase the acreage of wetlands being restored and protected in targeted locations. They will test multiple outreach strategies to determine tools and techniques that increase landowner engagement and participation in restoration programs. The proposed project will: develop and test multiple outreach strategies in priority locations on Delmarva, collaborate with an advisory group of wetland restoration stakeholders, and evaluate outcomes and make recommendations for future outreach efforts. | Mitch Hartley |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Review of Statutes and Regulations that Protect Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay | Chesapeake Legal Alliance | $24,750 | Completed 8/15/19 View Final Report here. SAV Database | This project will evaluate and enhance current statutes and regulations that protect existing SAV in the Chesapeake Bay. Chesapeake Legal Alliance (CLA) will provide a thorough review and analysis of existing federal and Chesapeake Bay jurisdiction statutes, regulations, and regulatory programs and policies that protect submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the Chesapeake Bay. CLA will offer determinations as to the effectiveness and adequacy of the existing statutory framework in meeting Bay-wide SAV restoration goals, and suggestions for improvement. CLA will provide a final report and searchable database of existing statutes and regulations, and a presentation of findings. | Becky Golden |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Development of Citizen Scientist Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Protocol/Manual and Training/Certification Program | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) | $24,954 | Completed 12/31/2018 View Final Report here. Video Training | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) will develop scientific protocols reflecting the needs and capabilities of citizen science monitoring efforts in Chesapeake Bay. The protocols will be tested during a sampling session at Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. Using science communication principles, an SAV Monitoring Methods Manual targeted towards citizen scientists will be created, building off various previously-developed methods manuals. A series of short, informative videos will also be produced by the team and made publicly available online for educational and training purposes. A certificate program for this training will also be established to document training completion and competencies. | Brooke Landry |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Culvert Assessments for Fish Passage and Sediment in the Opequon Watershed, WV | Cacapon Institute | $45,194 | Completed 10/21/2021 View Final Report here. | Cacapon Institute (CI) will conduct culvert assessment in Tuscarora and Mill Creek watersheds of Opequon Creek, WV, using the protocol developed by the NAACC. CI will write, and receive approval for, a QAPP. CI will work with Technical Project Lead during the data collection phase to review preliminary results and expectations for the analysis phase. CI will identification of future fish passage projects with recommendations for Best Management Practice (BMP) implementation involving culverts that reduce sediment and benefit aquatic habitat and develop a lessons-learned for culvert design document. | Alana Hartman |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Targeted Local Outreach for Green Infrastructure in Vulnerable Areas | Skeo Solutions, Inc. | $64,817 | Completed 4/1/2022 View Final Report here. | Completed custom Roundtables and Workshops and developed a Final Report and accompanying presentation that is a culmination of information gathered throughout the project across all three target locations. | Jennifer Greiner |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Development of the "Maryland Stream Crossing Design Guidance: A Fish-Friendly Stream Crossing Design Handbook" | Coastal Resources, Inc. | $48,038 | Completed 5/20/2021 View Final Report here. | Coastal Resources, Inc. (CRI) will develop the “Maryland Stream Crossing Design Guidance: A Fish-Friendly Stream Crossing Design Handbook”. The goal of this guidance document is to influence and improve road-stream crossing efficiency and design in order to improve fish passage and flooding resiliency. The guidance document will aid in re-connecting hundreds of historic stream miles of habitat for many target fish species (river herring, shad, and brook trout). | Mary Andrews |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Development of Technical Guidance Manual and Outreach Materials for Small-scale Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Restoration in Chesapeake Bay and its Tidal Tributaries | Green Fin Studio | $49,907 | Completed 11/19/2021 View Final Report here. View Fact Sheet here. View Quick Start Guide here. | This project will involve developing a technical guidance manual for small-scale SAV restoration in Chesapeake Bay. We will also develop educational and outreach materials in support of this document. As part of this effort, we will conduct a literature review of documents about SAV restoration and monitoring. We will also conduct interviews with multiple SAV restoration and monitoring experts from the Chesapeake region. | Brooke Landry |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Management Approaches to Reduce Stressors of Stream Health | Center for Watershed Protection | $47,500 | Completed 8/22/22 View Final Report here | The Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) proposes to conduct a literature review and synthesis that addresses the following research question: which of the key stressors affecting stream health in the Chesapeake Bay watershed can be changed through management activities being implemented by jurisdictions to meet total maximum daily load (TMDL) goals? This project will build on an ongoing literature review and analysis completed by the U.S.Geological Survey and will involve ongoing coordination with Chesapeake Bay Program staff, members of the Habitat and Healthy Watersheds Goal Implementation Teams, the Stream Health Work Group, Toxic Contaminants Work Group, Urban Stormwater Work Group and other key members of a Technical Advisory Group. The final product of this work is a synthesis report that summarizes key findings and recommendations for restoration science and management professionals. | Neely Law |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Synthesis of Shoreline, Sea Level Rise, and Marsh Migration Data for Wetland Restoration Targeting | Virginia Institute of Marine Science | $72,418 | Completed 9/30/2022 View Final Report Here | The goal of this proposal was to 1) compile existing information about Sea Level Rise (SLR) inundation under forecasted climate change, topography of bay shorelines, shoreline condition (e.g., erosion rates, hardening, existing natural resources), existing wetland area and potential migration corridors, and other relevant data from Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partners and other organizations and 2) develop a methodology that synthesizes the information in a format that can be used to assist with marsh conservation and restoration decisions under multiple sea level rise scenarios using a target area within the Middle Peninsula, VA. | Kevin Du Bois |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Data Review and Development of Multi-Metric Stream Health Indicators | Tetra Tech, Inc. | $75,000 | Completed 9/13/2023 View Final Report View Project Factsheet | This project is Phase 3A of work developed by the Chesapeake Bay Program Stream Health Work Group (SHWG) and USGS to better understand the drivers and stressors affecting stream health throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Specifically, the project will conduct a data review and develop multi-metric stream health indicators for hydraulics and geomorphology. Currently, the Chessie BIBI is the sole indicator of stream health being used by SHWG. The development of these additional indicators will address the significant science and management need to better understand and communicate how streams respond to management actions. | Alison Santoro |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Updating the Chesapeake Bay Fish Passage Prioritization Tool | The Nature Conservancy | $60,651 | Completed 2/22/2024 Final Report Chesapeake Fish Passage Prioritization Tool: An Assessment of Dams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (Martin, 2023) View Project Factsheet Data Update Instructions Fields to Retain and Field Mappings | Updating the Chesapeake Bay Fish Passage Prioritization Tool will consist of the following main objectives: QAPP development; data collection and updating; updating the prioritization results using the current prioritization methodology; generating new results to track mileage opened; updating the front-end of the tool; and Z-Score prioritization method. | Mary Andrews |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Facilitating Brook Trout Outcome Attainability through Coordination with CBP Jurisdictions and Partners | Trout Unlimited, Inc. | $80,000 | In Progress | Trout Unlimited intends to partner with the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture to facilitate the Chesapeake Bay Program Brook Trout Outcome by working with known partners and stakeholders and identifying and engaging new stakeholders as appropriate. For this project, Trout Unlimited will gather data and collaborate with partners and stakeholders to develop appropriate reporting metrics and a reporting framework so the work to accomplish the goals of the Brook Trout Outcome to evaluate the current status and ensure work will endure into the future. Additionally, Trout Unlimited and the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture are interested and enthusiastic about using the reporting metrics and framework completed for this project, along with a final summary report, to continue to build the momentum and increase public and key decision-maker support for continuing collaborative efforts and work to improve brook trout and coldwater habitat in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. | Stephen Faulkner |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Understanding and Addressing the Impacts of Wetland Mowing to Facilitate Meeting the Chesapeake Bay Wetland Enhancement Goals | Clean Streams | $74,950 | In Progress | The overall goal of “Scope of Work 1: Understanding and Addressing the Impacts of Wetland Mowing to Facilitate Meeting the Chesapeake Bay Wetland Enhancement Goals” includes gathering data to inform an understanding of the potential impact and extent of tidal wetland mowing across the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed. This project is one phase of a larger effort that will inform a long-term, multi-phase effort to reduce tidal wetland mowing and make progress towards the CBP’s wetland enhancement goals and outcomes. | Pam Mason |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Protecting Chesapeake Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Given Changing Hydrologic Conditions: Priority SAV Area Identification and Solutions Development | Tetra Tech | $84,874.00 | In Progress | Tetra Tech will use a comprehensive approach integrating our expertise in SAV ecology, Chesapeake Bay data management, and geospatial modeling to identify high-priority SAV areas in the Bay watershed and determine which BMPs could be most effective in protecting those areas from loss during high-flow events/years. Key components of our approach include utilizing an expanded set of criteria to evaluate and select high-priority SAV habitats; data analyses to associate water quality, land use, possibly other environmental conditions, and existing BMP effects to temporal and spatial responses of SAVs as a basis for recommending the most appropriate BMPs; and assessment of the functioning and efficiency of various BMPs through both literature review and data analysis/modeling in order to link these to the conditions and needs of priority SAV areas. Linking BMP implementation to thriving SAV beds will provide a powerful tool for resource managers to conserve SAV. | Brooke Landry |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Mapping Non-Tidal Vegetated Wetlands in Areas with Outdated Wetland Maps | Chesapeake Conservancy | $89,568.00 | In Progress | This project seeks to refine a deep learning model for mapping wetland presence in non-tidal geographies within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, using openly available imagery and elevation products. The goal for this project will be to confidently meet or exceed accuracy standards outlined through FGDC--1 m resolution data with a 95% confidence interval at 5 m horizontal accuracy, 96% producer’s accuracy-- and to research the needs for achieving the necessary classification requirements as outlined by FGDC. Outcomes from this project include a data dictionary of known wetland data resources, geospatial data noting presence of non-tidal wetlands for a subset of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, an accuracy assessment for said geospatial data, the code for the wetland mapping methods, and a project summary report that outlines the status of the mapping effort and what it might take to get the data fully FGDC compliant for consideration in the NWI program. | Zhenhua Zou and Megan Lang |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Monitoring Vegetation Condition Throughout the Delmarva Peninsula | terraPulse | $79,996.00 | In Progress | TerraPulse, Inc. will retrieve historical time-series of Landsat- and Sentinel-based indices of vegetation cover (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), surface moisture (Normalized Difference Wetness Index, NDWI), and C-band radar backscatter measurements at 10- to 30-meter spatial resolution and monthly, bimonthly, seasonal, and annual temporal resolution, as well as percentage tree and water cover at 10- and 30-meter spatial resolution and annual temporal resolution, over the Delmarva Peninsula from 1984 to 2022. Automated workflows will be developed in R and Python languages and delivered as executable scripts along with data products composited to monthly, bimonthly, seasonal, and annual resolution. TerraPulse will also verify the indices' ability to detect high-, low-, and non-marsh sites by correlation of indices to on-site observations of marsh type and report results of time-series analysis of indices from 1984 to 2022. | Peter Claggett |
| Habitat (GIT2) | Literature Review: Building Climate Resilience in Stream Restoration Practices | Stroud Water Research Center | $54,944.00 | In Progress | No comprehensive review exists that identifies which stream restoration approaches are most effective at addressing (for either mitigation or resiliency) climate change impacts. Therefore, guidance to the regulatory and design community is confusing, disorganized, and anecdotal in nature. Our review proposal seeks to provide clear guidance as to the relative effectiveness of stream restoration strategies. Using standard scientific databases, we will search the literature for restoration studies reporting metrics relevant to climate change mitigation following standard recommendations for meta-analyses. Results will be shown for each stream restoration criteria examined, and all criteria will be compared amongst one another. Our goal is to support integration of climate mitigation/adaptation strategies into current stream restoration maintenance/upgrades and future stream restoration regulation, siting, design, and/or construction practices. We anticipate that our work will help direct future stream restoration in the Chesapeake Bay watershed towards maximum resiliency and mitigation in the face of climate change. | Alison Santoro |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Quantify BMP Impact on each Management Strategy | Tetra Tech, Inc. | $89,949 | Completed 6/16/2017 View Final Report here. Appendix D Appendix E | The project will evaluate the BMPs currently approved for use in the watershed model as well as those in expert panels and on the most recent priority list to evaluate the impact each practice has on each of the 29 Management Strategies. Each BMP will be assigned an impact score ranging from -10 to +10 for each Management Strategy or outcome. Potential references include BMP Panel reports, scientific literature, the previously funded toxic contaminants study and best professional judgment. The awardee will be expected to engage the Management Strategy development teams to brief them and provide the opportunity for their input. The project will produce both a table showing the resulting impact scores as well as a project report that documents the scientific basis for assigning the scores. | James Davis-Martin |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Targeted Outreach Tools for Fish Consumption Advisories in Diverse Chesapeake Bay Communities | Tetra Tech, Inc. | $49,999 | Completed 12/31/2017 View Final Report here. | The diversity management strategy, which acknowledges the importance of engaging more diverse populations in restoration of the Bay also requires policies and practices that address the socioeconomic, historic, cultural, recreational and human health values of these underrepresented populations. The diversity management strategy and both toxic contaminants strategies focus on the need to address toxic contaminants related to fish consumption and subsistence fishing in particular. The policy and prevention strategy, which focuses mostly on PCBs, includes this as a strategic element because it will be effective in building public awareness on the severity and extent of PCBs in the environment. This work is necessary in order to inventory outreach tools and efforts to date, evaluate their effectiveness, develop tools to enhance awareness of contaminants in fish and determine the most effective means of disseminating information. | Greg Allen and Reggie Parrish |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Assessing Benefits of Wastewater Treatment Plant Nutrient Control Upgrades on Toxic Contaminants | Tetra Tech, Inc. | $39,833 | Completed 9/12/2019 View Final Report here. | This project evaluates potential toxic reduction benefits that could be achieved through upgrades at wastewater treatment plants in addition to the implementation of traditional nutrient and sediment nonpoint source BMPs examined in 2015. | Greg Allen |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Development of Chesapeake Bay Technology Assessment Protocol for Manufactured Stormwater Treatment Devices | University of Delaware | $43,780 | Completed 6/6/2020 View Final Report here. Comparison between Draft CBTAP and TAPE | The expert panel approach will be used to select evaluation protocols for manufactured stormwater treatment devices (MTDs) and non-proprietary best management practices using the previously developed, but never implemented, Virginia Technology Assessment Protocol. Since MTD units vary widely in size and testing and evaluating every variation of them is infeasible, sizing criteria for generalizing the results of evaluations for specific MTDs will be explored and recommendations made. | Normand Goulet |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Feasibility Study for Voluntary Phase-Out of PCBs in Current Use | Eastern Research Group, Inc. | $39,915 | Completed 7/26/19 View Final Report here. | Eastern Research Group (ERG) will apply its extensive expertise in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) phase-out activities, voluntary program design, and cost-benefit analysis to help the Chesapeake Bay Program lay the groundwork for a program to promote the voluntary removal of PCB-containing materials. As a primary contractor for EPA’s nationwide PCB phase-out efforts, ERG will bring unique insights and efficiencies as we work collaboratively with the Toxic Contaminants Workgroup to estimate PCB prevalence in Watershed states, assess costs and benefits of phase-out options, and identify promising models for the design of a cost-effective voluntary program. | Fred Pinkney |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Integrating Monitoring, Modeling and Trends Analyses to Inform Management Decisions | Tetra Tech, Inc. | $74,918 | Completed 5/14/21 View Final Report here. Explore by Watershed Boundary Video Guide Explore by Political Boundary Video Guide | Tetra Tech will work with the steering committee to define a geographic area of interest, generate a case study that showcases how to retrieve information, and generate basic visualization outputs such as charts, graphs, and maps. Tetra Tech will demonstrate the case study via a webinar to the steering committee and Water Quality Goal Implementation Team. | James Davis-Martin |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Crafting Guidance for Enhanced Treatment by Roadside Ditch Management Practices | Center for Watershed Protection, Inc. | $59,923 | Completed 2/6/2019 View Final Report here. | The Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) and Hirschman Water & Environment (HW&E) are uniquely qualified to develop Guidance for Enhanced Treatment by Roadside Ditch Management (RDM) Practice. CWP will utilize experience developing stormwater guidebooks and experience designing and implementing roadside ditch practices in Maryland to develop draft detailed design guidance for four RDM practices including: ditch elimination, ditch stabilization, ditch treatment, and ditch retrofit. HW&E will coordinate the development of design guidelines for the use of performance enhancing devices in RDM practices. | Tom Schueler |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Quantification of the Value of Green Infrastructure Hazard Mitigation Related to Inland and Coastal Flooding | Research Triangle Institute | $74,995 | Completed 8/2/2020 View Final Report here. Hazard Mitigation Results Video presentation | This proposal offers a 4-step framework for identifying and quantifying the relationship between implementation of green infrastructure BMPs and avoided losses due to flood damage. This relationship will provide the basis for estimating average (per acre) values of ecosystem service co-benefits for specific BMPs, which can then be included in the CAST model. We will demonstrate the framework at selected pilot sites and for selected BMPs and provide a roadmap for replicating the approach across the watershed and for other BMPs. | Kristin Saunders |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Pavement Sealant Protocol Development: Identifying New High Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) Pollution Sources | Sitelab Corporation | $85,000 | Completed 8/30/2022 View Final Report here. | Developed a Protocol to Certify Low-Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs, a class of toxic contaminants found in coal, crude oil, and gasoline) sealants used in the Chesapeake watershed and throughout the United States. Created a standardized protocol for testing PAH concentrations in pavement sealants and to use the approved protocol to create a Gold (products with 1,000 ppm PAHs or below) and Silver (10,000 ppm PAHs or below) list of pavement sealants. | Lillian Power |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Turf to Buffers Stewardship Campaign for Bay Counties | J&J Okay Consulting, Inc. | $73,517 | Completed 7/27/2020 View Manual here | Land use changes from forest to development increases sediment loads and polluted surface flow to Bay feeder streams. A new focus on restoring forest buffers along streams adjacent to non-ag land uses will help to improve water quality in tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. This project involves partnering with the Virginia Department of Forestry and Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Naturalist Program. It is an opportunity to develop a strong effort to support riparian forest buffer restoration with an infusion of energy from volunteers with the desire to make a difference for the tributaries in Virginia. | Sally Claggett |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Piloting the Development of Probabilistic Intensity Duration Frequency (IDF) Curves for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed | The RAND Corporation | $149,900 | Completed 7/22/2021 View Final Report here. | To protect individuals in urban and coastal zones from flooding due to projected increases in heavy rainfall events in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW), and to design and build infrastructure assets to withstand anticipated future precipitation conditions, design standards should reflect future precipitation projections and not solely be based on historical precipitation records. This project proposes to develop projected intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves for the entire CBW, as well as analyze relevant climate data, downscaling methods, and future uncertainties. Once derived, we will make these curves available and accessible in an online tool. To carry out this work, the study team – the RAND Corporation, the Northeast Regional Climate Center (NRCC) at Cornell University, and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) – will leverage their expertise, past projects, familiarity with the CBW, and stakeholder connections in the region. | Normand Goulet |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Correctional Conservation Collaborative | Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council | $74,089 | Completed 6/1/2021 View Final Report here . Final Report Slides | Drawing on our experience and relationships in the landscaping trade, conservation, and related communities, CCLC and our partners will work closely with the Pennsylvania DCNR team to analyze and assess the recent Correctional Conservation Collaborative program, as well as other corrections-based workforce development efforts in the Bay region. A large portion of this effort will involve research, discussions, and gathering and coalescing information to generate a series of reports, contact lists, checklists, assessments, and a training manual and curriculum to support the expansion of the CCC urban forestry and riparian forest buffer programs across Pennsylvania and to other states in the region. This work overlaps with CCLC's primary efforts to expand and consistently train the workforce of landscape professionals to help local and state governments in the Bay watershed meet their water quality and habitat goals. | Teddi Stark |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Maintaining forests in stream corridor restoration and sharing lessons learned | Center for Watershed Protection, Inc. | $90,000.00 | Completed 11/22/2022 View Final Report here. | The Center for Watershed Protection proposes to work collaboratively with the Chesapeake Bay Program and stakeholders to evaluate what impact stream restoration projects have on existing riparian ecology and forest buffers in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The work involves a literature and policy review, interviews with stream restoration/forest buffer experts, geospatial analysis and modeling, synthesis of results, and delivery of three webcasts to disseminate results. This project will produce guidance for local governments on the best practices to minimize unintended adverse outcomes to riparian forests and identify opportunities for coupling these practices to improve water quality and habitat improvements. The results will help the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership to improve the selection, permitting, and funding processes for stream restoration projects. | Katie Brownson |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Developing and initiating two NFRF programs in the Chesapeake Bay Region | Environmental Policy Innovation Center/Sand County Foundation | $69,203.00 | In Progress | The Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), a 5-year-old conservation organization with a mission of supporting policy ideas that allow the speed and scale of conservation to be dramatically increased, is proposing a 4 phase plan to develop and initiate two NFRF programs in the Chesapeake Bay region. The proposed plan works to deeply understand current barriers and create an approach that mitigates them using a strong understanding of conservation finance and business plan development. With an extensive network of partners both nationally and within the Bay watershed, we plan to conduct interviews, identify communities, create materials, and initiate at least two programs between June 2022 and October 2023. | Katie Brownson |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Tree Canopy Funding and Policy Roundtable | University of Maryland, College Park | $64,909.00 | In Progress | The Environmental Finance Center (EFC) at the University of Maryland proposes to support the CBP in advancing tree canopy progress by designing and delivering the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Tree Canopy Policy and Funding Roundtable. This virtual, interactive event will engage strategically selected local and state leaders to “identify new funding, policy, and programmatic solution pathways to address key challenges and opportunities.” It will build on prior Partnership tree canopy work, and share the “best available data, tools and innovative approaches to strengthen tree canopy outcomes toward climate resilience and equity.” To guide the Roundtable design, EFC will facilitate pre- and post-Roundtable Jurisdiction Strategy Sessions with state and local leaders to identify each jurisdiction’s tree canopy needs and priorities. EFC will distill findings from the Roundtable and Jurisdiction Strategy Sessions and generate a suite of strategies and specific actions that could be pursued in each jurisdiction. | Julie Mawhorter |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Optimizing Riparian Forest Buffer Implementation for Climate Adaptation and Resilience | Chesapeake Conservancy | $62,158.00 | In Progress | The overall goal of “Scope of Work 3: Optimizing Riparian Forest Buffer Implementation for Climate Adaptation and Resilience” includes convening a steering committee, synthesizing and publishing a report regarding the extent to which riparian forest buffers can provide various climate adaptation benefits, and producing a StoryMap for state/local government officials and practitioners sharing up to eight riparian forest buffer case studies at the local scale. The outcome is to provide technical guidance and examples to local government officials to increase riparian forest buffer planting to improve communities' resilience to climate change. | Katie Brownson |
| Water Quality (GIT3) | Addressing Regional Tree Supply Challenges and Opportunities | University of Florida | $68,761 | In Progress | The overall goal of “Scope of Work 4: Addressing Regional Tree Supply Challenges and Opportunities” includes identifying barriers and solutions to existing market constraints that limit the availability, diversity, and quality of nursery trees. The project will establish a regional steering committee and host a series of focus groups across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. A virtual forum will be held to highlight the findings of this work and bring industry experts together to discuss the issue. | Julie Mawhorter |
| Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT4) | Identification of Additional Healthy Watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Portion of West Virginia | The Nature Conservancy | $47,526.65 | Completed 2/9/2016 View Final Report here. | The condition and function of five pilot watersheds in West Virginia was conducted at two different spatial scalesâ€â€HUC12 watersheds and NHDPlus catchmentsâ€â€using a hierarchical approach that individually modeled three landscapes that characterize a watershed: streams, wetlands, and uplands. The purpose of this work is to expand this tool beyond its use to identify protection and restoration opportunities and needs to identification of areas of high conservation value for protection ( healthy watersheds). The deliverables of this work will be identification of healthy watersheds in West Virginia at the HUC 12 and/or NHDPlus Catchment scale for potential* inclusion into the State-Identified Healthy Watersheds dataset maintained by the Chesapeake Bay Program and identification of healthy watersheds in West Virginia at the HUC12 or NHDPlus Catchment scale using the existing State-identified healthy waters. | Renee Thompson and John Wolf |
| Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT4) | Healthy Watersheds Forest/TMDL Project Phase II | Virginia Department of Forestry | $50,000 | Completed 8/8/2017 View Final Report here. | Although forest cover is recognized as one of the best land uses for achieving Chesapeake Bay water quality and healthy watershed goals and outcomes, localities in the watershed have long maintained that unless TMDL credit is given for retaining forestland, there is little local incentive for preserving forestland. The objective is to build the technical and modeling evidence needed to stimulate negotiation at the federal, state and local levels necessary to drive land use planning and decisions in directions that sustain and maintain forestland. This effort will focus on local officials to get land use policies and decisions that retain forestland in healthy watersheds implemented. This project should identify lessons learned and develop a tool box of local authorities that can then be rolled up into the planned online Chesapeake Bay wide tool box repository and made available throughout the Watershed. | Renee Thompson |
| Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT4) | Evaluation of Land Use Policy Options, Incentives and Planning Tools to Reduce the Rate of Conversion of Agricultural Lands, Forest and Wetlands | University of Maryland College Park | $66,077 | Completed 7/18/2017 View Final Report here. | This project will build off of initial work where a scope of work was developed to determine various options and costs for implementing the three Management Strategy (MS) tasks. The Offerer will conduct a comprehensive review/study to implement one of the MS tasks: “determine the spectrum of existing policy options, incentives and planning tools current being implemented at the local and state level." This has been identified by Healthy Watershed Goal Team staff and leadership as a key first step in the implementation of the three tasks outlined in the Land Use Options and Evaluation MS. The results will be used to inform the implementation (at a later date) of the additional two MS tasks related to survey and tool development. | Renee Thompson |
| Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT4) | Methodology for Developing High-Resolution Stream and Waterbody Datasets for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed | Chesapeake Conservancy | $74,997 | Completed 6/30/2018 View Final Report here. | This proposal will investigate and evaluate existing and novel methods for deriving stream lines and areas, with the goal of developing a rigorous mapping methodology that can be applied at the landscape scale. The Chesapeake Conservancy and University of Maryland Baltimore County will partner, bringing together decades of scientific and geospatial experience to devise scientifically rigorous and scalable methodologies that work across various scales and landscapes. By June 2018, this partnership proposes to conduct fieldwork in three geographies, develop a thorough literature review, and deliver a mapping protocol and report in cooperation with the Healthy Watersheds Goal Implementation Team. | Peter Claggett |
| Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT4) | Preliminary State-Identified Healthy Watersheds Vulnerability Assessments for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed | Tetra Tech, Inc. | $45,000 | Completed 5/20/20 View Final Report here. View Appendix B. | Tetra Tech will assist the Chesapeake Bay Trust in supporting the Chesapeake Bay Program's Maintain Healthy Watersheds Goal Implementation Team in tracking progress towards the Healthy Watershed Outcome. Tetra Tech will apply EPA's Preliminary Healthy Watersheds Assessment framework to assess the condition of state-identified healthy watersheds, identify additional geospatial data for the Chesapeake region to refine assessments, develop an approach to use the framework to track watershed health, and apply the framework to identify vulnerabilities in these valued watersheds. Tetra Tech will prepare a report documenting the condition and vulnerability assessments and the proposed tracking approach for healthy watersheds. | Renee Thompson |
| Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT4) | Healthy Watersheds Forest/TMDL Project Phase III | Virginia Department of Forestry | $70,000 | Completed 10/1/2019 View Final Report here. | Building on Phases I and II, Task 1 of Phase III involves working with one locality in the Rappahannock River basin to modify their existing comprehensive plan, growth management policies, and development ordinances to favor forest and agricultural land retention so conservation models can be duplicated throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In Task 2 the Department of Forestry will work with the private financial sector to design approaches to attract private capital into the financing of forest and agricultural lands conservation on a sustainable, landscape scale. Task 3 focuses on coordination with other Chesapeake Bay Program workgroup efforts to institutionalize needed changes. | Renee Thompson |
| Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT4) | Chesapeake Watershed Conservation Finance Intensive Workshop | The Conservation Fund | $20,500 | Completed 5/22/2020 View Final Report here. | CFN will deliver an intensive conservation finance workshop and spur ongoing network communication and engagement among 40 Chesapeake watershed practitioners in service to the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership Management Strategy for Protected Lands goals in the Bay Agreement. CFN operates the longest-running and most effective conservation finance training at the national level and has built a cross-sector, networked community of practice. These courses and connections have increased the capabilities of over 450 land and resource conservation finance professionals to make use of innovativeâ€â€and effectiveâ€â€funding and financing strategies. By tailoring CFN’s proven model to the most relevant strategies for the Chesapeake watershed, we will achieve the stated goal: increase the knowledge, skills, and ability of land conservation practitioners to tap existing, new and more complex sources of public funding and private capital to accelerate strategic land conservation efforts and undertake more ambitious projects that provide even greater public benefit. | Renee Thompson |
| Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT4) | Improving Technical Service Delivery to Private Landowner | Chesapeake Conservancy | $54,000 | Completed 10/28/2021 View Final Report here. | The Chesapeake Conservancy (CC) is writing in response to the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s request for proposal to coordinate Improved Technical Service Delivery to Private Landowners (SOW 1). CC will leverage experience with stakeholder outreach and engagement, landscape-scale data curation and evaluation of effective methods and guidelines for implementing Landscape Impact Assessment Methods that are broadly applicable to multiple landscapes and geographies. This application describes background information, proposed approaches, deliverables and qualifications to meet the RFP requirements within one year of the contract execution date for the amount of $54,000. | Christine Conn |
| Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT4) | Implementation of Chesapeake Healthy Watersheds Assessment in Maryland Tier II watersheds | Tetra Tech, Inc. | $54,974 | Completed 8/11/2022 View Final Report. data package, which includes code, geodatabase, map package, and tutorial video. | Tetra Tech will build upon the Chesapeake Bay Healthy Watersheds Assessment (CHWA) framework to develop a state-specific approach for refining the characterization of watershed health and vulnerability in Maryland. This work will create a Maryland Healthy Watershed Assessment (MDHWA) that establishes watershed health and vulnerability indicators for Maryland Tier II waters. The MDHWA will serve as a model that can be replicated in other jurisdictions and updated in future assessments. This project will support the Maintain Healthy Watersheds Goal Implementation Team (HWGIT) in tracking progress towards the Healthy Watersheds Outcome in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, that 100% of state-identified healthy waters and watersheds remain healthy. | Renee Thompson |
| Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT4) | Chesapeake Healthy Watersheds Assessment 2.0 | Innovate!, Inc. | $84,821 | Completed 10/27/2023 View Final Report View Project Factsheet | ERG will provide full-service support to plan, design, execute, and follow up on a set of workshops to equip local planners in the Chesapeake watershed with the knowledge and skills to more effectively plan in ways that support Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement goals and outcomes. We will solicit input from members of the target audience, design workshops that best meet planners' needs, run workshops in three locations, attend to all logistical needs, and develop and disseminate a follow-up webinar to keep momentum moving forward. Our approach takes advantage of pledged partnerships with APA state chapters to offer AICP Certification Maintenance credits. | Sarah McDonald and Peter Claggett |
| Maintain Healthy Watersheds (GIT4) and Communications Workgroup | Community Response to Land Use Changes | Chesapeake Environmental Communications | $89,974 | In Progress | The overall goal of “Scope of Work 12: Community Response to Land Use Changes” includes reviewing the CBP geographic information systems (GIS) team's in-house vulnerability analysis and offering recommendations for an effective public awareness campaign to further the CBP’s Land Use Methods and Metrics Development Outcome. The in-house vulnerability analysis determined what areas of the watershed are most at risk of losing vital habitat and species due to changes in land use/land cover and climate. Four at-risk communities will be identified, and audience research in those communities will be conducted to better understand high-risk communities perceive the changes and threats to their communities. Findings from this research will help inform future communications campaigns within the CBP. | Rachel Felver |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Leveraging Local Lessons/Development of a Crowd Sourced Database as Part of the Chesapeake Network to Promote Shared Outreach and Marketing Case Studies, Results, and Materials | Skyline Technology Solutions | $30,000 | Completed 7/11/2018 View Final Report here. | Efforts to directly engage citizens in taking actions to improve watershed quality are locally developed and implemented. Many of these programs lack understanding of what has worked and why and how that can inform the design of their program. Because of this there is great demand for a community-based social marketing (CBSM) case study database, as many organizations are working to promote adoption similar actions and behaviors to similar target audiences. The entire Chesapeake Bay Watershed community will benefit from sharing knowledge, tools, and lessons learned with each other. The intent of this initiative would be to develop an on-line database that would provide a much needed space for organizations to share and access outreach program information and resources. | Amy Handen |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Development of Baseline Indicator of Citizen Stewardship | OpinionWorks LLC | $69,903.57 | Completed 3/16/2018 View Final Report here. | This project will develop an index that would provide a much needed baseline metric(s) for the citizen stewardship outcome with particular attention paid to better understanding of the diversity of citizens engaged in stewardship activities. This work builds upon existing efforts to measure the penetration rate of homeowner best management practices and assess local NGO capacity and volunteer activity and local leadership by identifying key data gaps and filling them as needed. All relevant data will contribute to an analysis that would generate an initial index of behavior and social capital to advance local restoration goals and serve as a much needed baseline from which to measure future progress. | Jamie Baxter |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Public Access Data Quality Assurance and Application Integration | Chesapeake Conservancy | $35,000 | Completed 6/27/2018 View Final Report here. | As a result of partner efforts over the last several years, existing public access sites have been comprehensively inventoried. This has created a geographic dataset of more than 1,200 existing public access sites. The intent of this effort has been to enhance the public’s ability to interact with the waterways and resources of the Bay watershed, develop a strong appreciation for them, and a stronger stewardship ethic. Yet, the public lacks easy, comprehensive information for locating and using these sites. Providing access to the data through the use of APIs and the integration of the data into existing public-focused digital products would address this problem. It would help showcase efforts of Bay partners in enhancing public access opportunities and highlight the need for additional access. | Amy Handen |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Development of Baseline Indicator of Citizen Stewardship | OpinionWorks LLC | $75,000 | Completed 7/11/2017 View Final Report here. | This project scaled up implementation of the randomly sampled general population survey piloted previously in order have sufficient data to compute a statistically significant stewardship index, e.g. baseline measure of citizen stewardship, at a state, regional, or if possible a county scale. This project assessed the extent to which the survey results provide an adequate measure of volunteerism by state and in the region and facilitate development of a methodology to address gaps in the data among stakeholders. | Amy Handen and Kacey Wetzel |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Environmental Justice Screen | Innovate! Inc | $29,722 | Completed 8/15/2019 View Final Report here. | This project will create a web-based Environmental Justice Screening and mapping tool which supports implementation of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement and other Bay restoration goals. This project will develop a screening tool which initially integrates important information from three Watershed Agreement outcomes: public access, climate resiliency, and toxic contaminants. | John Wolf |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Phase III: Development of Baseline Indicator of Citizen Stewardship | OpinionWorks LLC | $112,000 | Completed 6/19/2018 View Final Report here. | OpinionWorks proposes to field the scaled-up Baseline Indicator of Citizen Stewardship at the level of 5,200 interviews Bay-wide, with all associated analysis and sharing of the data. This effort will build on prior work dating back to the creation of the BaySurvey.org tool and continuing through the development, conduct, and evaluation of the Pilot Stewardship Indicator in 2015/2016. | Amy Handen and Kacey Wetzel |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Promoting Meaningful Stormwater Mitigation on Urban/Suburban School Grounds | National Wildlife Federation | $70,000 | Completed 12/19/18 View Final Report here. | The National Wildlife Federation in partnership with the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education will collaborate to develop online resources and accompanying video content for implementing stormwater BMP projects on urban/suburban school grounds in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that improve water quality, meet local community needs, and allow for meaningful student engagement before, during, and after construction. | Shannon Sprague |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | MWEE Guide 2.0 | Walkabout Productions | $37,841 | Completed 9/10/2018 View Final Report here. | This scope of work is to produce a series of nine videos to promote and teach how to conduct a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE). Filming will occur in several schools and field trips throughout the watershed to show geographic and topical diversity. The videos will show MWEEs in action and allow the audience to follow teachers as they work through the new MWEE guide to teach environmental literacy. | Shannon Sprague |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Implementation Support for Chesapeake Bay Program Cultural Competency, Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Capacity Building, Training and Tools Development | Skeo Solutions, Inc. | $74,927 | Completed 3/2/2021 View Final Report here. | Skeo Solutions proposes a unique project approach incorporating a team of highly qualified staff with extensive experience to implement a tailored Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy for the Chesapeake Bay Partnership (CBP) internal staff. Their proven expertise will greatly assist CBP and its partners in achieving their shared goals of (1) growing from 13% to 35% in racial and ethnic staff diversity, (2) helping partners to develop as leaders who truly understand, respect and embrace cultural diversity and (3) training leaders to continually assess the progress. | Tuana Phillips |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Interactive Online Tool for Citizen Stewardship Data Use and Analysis | Green Fin Studio | $49,828 | Completed 10/28/2021 View Final Product here. | Green Fin Studio (GFS) (formerly Chesapeake Environmental Communications) will work with the Citizen Stewardship Workgroup and the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) Web Team to develop a web database to support an online, question driven/scenario-based interactive web-based tool. | Amy Handen |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Behavior Change Training & Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Pilot Implementation | Action Research | $69,986 | Completed 4/26/2021 View Final Report here. | Our project proposal is based on our deep knowledge of social science and behavior change along with our experience implementing CBSM campaigns across a wide range of audiences. We will develop a training that is grounded in the latest research while still being accessible and practical for program managers, and provide a sustainable transferability package. We will work with CBF to identify groups that are well-situated to act and conduct a one-time consultation for up to four selected projects. Finally, we will develop a plan based on the principles of CBSM for motivating behaviors that protect SAV and collaborate with the workgroups to complete the tasks, from behavior identification to barrier/benefit research to strategy development. | Amy Handen |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Scenic Landscape Impact Assessment Methodology and Training | T.J. Boyle Associates, LLC | $99,979 | Completed 2/10/22 View Final Report here | The RFP states that “this project will pilot development and application of a standard methodology for assessing and quantifying visual impacts to scenic landscapes.†T. J. Boyle Associates (TJBA) understands this to mean that Scope of Work 12 is intended as an experimental trial or feasibility study to demonstrate a procedure for quantifying visual impacts to scenic landscapes (i.e., methodology) “that ultimately can be broadly applied by Chesapeake jurisdictions and conservation organizations.†In addition to the procedure and associated documentation, TJBA is responsible for preparing a case study application and for preparing a project report and journal publication. | Jonathan Doherty |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Development of improved methodology for data collection of a Chesapeake Bay Protected Lands indicator | Chesapeake Conservancy | $49,533 | Completed 12/21/2020 View Final Report here | Chesapeake Conservancy, through the Conservation Innovation Center, Chesapeake Conservation Partnership (CCP), and NatureServe through LandScope, are partnering to design an accurate and comprehensive aggregate dataflow map and web interface for protected lands data for the Chesapeake Bay watershed, combining information from federal, state and local agencies and land trusts to be provided to the Chesapeake Bay Program as part of their protected lands database. Our team will design a system that will incorporate data from current tracking tools to meet the need of the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) database and an online platform on LandScope to facilitate reporting of additional protected lands information that is lacking. These dataflow maps will be integrated into CBP and FieldDoc databases to facilitate the adoption of land conservation as a credited Best Management Practices (BMPs) accounting to meet Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reductions established by the EPA. | Renee Thompson |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Quantify and support Best Management Practice (BMP) installation and restoration at schools to contribute directly to Bay restoration goals | Stroud Water Research Center | $69,900 | Completed 9/30/2020 View Final Report here. | Stroud Water Research Center is proposing to complete Scope of Work 11: Quantify and support Best Management Practice (BMP) installation and restoration at schools to contribute directly to Bay restoration goals. The proposal narrative describes how an experienced team of education researchers, GIS specialists, and watershed restoration specialists will accomplish the project steps and deliverables outlined in the scope of work. Education researchers will lead the processes to interview and analyze responses of CBP Workgroup, school district, and sustainable schools recognition programs representatives. Experienced GIS and watershed restoration specialists will then lead the team’s efforts in GIS and creation of recommendations and guidance for BMPs on school properties in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. | Shannon Sprague |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Developing a Regional Outdoor Learning Network to Support MWEE Implementation | Local Concepts LLC | $50,000 | Completed 7/28/21 View Final Report here. | Local Concepts LLC is submitting an application to support the development of Regional Outdoor Learning Network to 1) increase communication across partners/local implementation networks to support more and better designed MWEEs, and 2) increase the number of teacher-supported systemic environmental literacy programs occurring in priority school districts. This will support Goal Implementation Team 5: Fostering Chesapeake Stewardship. The project will take place online. | Shannon Sprague |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Increasing Diversity in the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership through Cultural Competency Training | Skeo Solutions, Inc. | $14,973 | Completed 1/21/2021 View Final Report here. Training Manual. | Design and implement a tailored Cultural Competency Training for the Chesapeake Bay Partnership members staff that will help to enhanced capacity and an inclusive environment to meet the CBP Diversity Indicator target of increasing racial and ethnic diversity representation in the partnership to 25%, with 15% in leadership positions, by 2025. For the purposes of this proposal, Skeo assumes that the trainings will take place in Annapolis, MD at CBT home offices. Having led CBP through the first phases of this work, Skeo brings intimate knowledge of this process, the recommendations and the players. | Tuana Phillips |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | A social science road map for advancing Chesapeake Bay Program partnership goals | University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science | $74,990 | Completed 2/23/2023 View Final Report here. | This project will synthesize applied social science knowledge and research to create recommendations for strengthening and further integrating social science into CBP partnership activities, as a means to advance partnership goals. By reviewing existing efforts of the partnership and similar institutions, interviewing partnership members, and conducting a literature review, we will address three main questions: (1) Which outcomes have the greatest need and opportunity to leverage social science application at this time, (2) To what degree is social science theory already being implemented and what has informed the work to date, and (3) Which social science theories and frameworks are best-suited to achieve high priority outcomes. The outcomes of this research will be used to create a social science roadmap that matches goals to methods for applying social science frameworks, theories, and tools. | Amy Handen |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Determining Evidence-Based Criteria to Highlight How Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) are Advancing K-12 Student Outcomes | Notre Dame University of Maryland | $66,113 | In Progress | The overall goal of “Scope of Work 7: Determining Evidence-Based Criteria to Highlight How Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) are Advancing K-12 Student Outcomes” includes gathering information that will be helpful in determining the key elements of place-based education and the MWEE in particular that directly address student goals for learning. The project will also help ascertain whether the existing data set suggests that student achievement is merely correlated with the MWEE instructional model or whether there is a causative relationship between the two elements. | Shannon Sprague |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Career and Workforce Programming Landscape Assessment | Center for Innovation, Research, and Transformation in Education dba WeStrategies | $74,995 | In Progress | The overall goal of “Scope of Work 8: Career and Workforce Programming Landscape Assessment” will be to conduct a career and workforce programming landscape assessment. This project will include a four-phased approach that will set up an effective project management plan, establish a data collection strategy, conduct data analysis, disseminate results, and convene stakeholders to discuss the findings. The project will help determine already existing career and workforce programs and opportunities and identify current barriers, gaps, and needs within this system for underrepresented individuals. | Bart Merrick |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Stewardship Network Study and Asset Mapping | Local Strategies | $65,000 | In Progress | To accelerate momentum towards the Chesapeake Bay Agreement stewardship outcomes, Local Concepts will support a process (centering equity and diverse perspectives) for an Advisory Team and other stakeholders to identify hubs and gaps in connectivity, highlight opportunities to facilitate strategic connections, and foster/leverage collaborative partnerships among local stewardship groups and conservation-related organizations. To reach these project outcomes, Local Concepts will:1.) Identify an Advisory Team to provide content expertise and guidance on the stewardship network study to include target steward groups, networks and organizations, along with other priority data, 2.) Develop a survey and gather data through SumApp which interfaces with mapping software Kumu to visualize data and connectivity in a network graph format (i.e., a network map), 3.) Use sense-making processes and practices to reveal hubs, gaps, assets, and opportunities for strategic connections. 4.) Build capacity of CBP leadership and critical stakeholders to continue to develop and understand the map. | Britt Slattery |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Cultivating and Strengthening Partnerships with Underrepresented Stakeholders | Chesapeake Conservancy | $65,000 | Completed 12/14/2022 View Final Report here. How to Engage with Communities of Color 101. | This project will help the CBP move to operationalize its DEIJ efforts by developing a better understanding of the needs, barriers, and priorities of organizations led by and serving historically underrepresented and underserved communities such as communities of color. | Tuana Phillips |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Developing Standards and Metrics to Target the Conservation of “Green Spaces” in Underrepresented and Low – Income Urban and Rural Communities | Skeo Solutions, Inc. | $69,943.00 | Completed 9/14/2022 View Final Report View Community Sustainability Model Research Report Explore the Green Space Equity Mapper Instructional Video View Green Space Equity Mapper User Guide | Skeo will develop a set of recommendations to help relieve overburdened low-income communities of color that are subjected to systemic racism and disproportionately affected by pollutants impacting residents’ health and Quality of Life. Watershed-wide, facilitators will conduct listening sessions; define criteria/thresholds and standards/metrics to define and map the level or levels of Green Spaces in Mapped, Underrepresented Communities of Color as a new GIS data layer; research and develop a Community Sustainability Model and deliver a final report. | John Griffin |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Public Access Research | OpinionWorks LLC | $74,692 | Completed 8/10/2023 View Final Report here. | The Public Access Workgroup seeks to understand: how residents throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed are using public access sites, how that usage relates to fostering stewardship behavior, what barriers are preventing traditionally underserved residents from accessing and using public access sites, and how best to engage those residents. We are proposing a research model that will assess these issues both quantitatively and qualitatively, identifying key population subgroups and providing deep insights into barriers and decision-making. The output of this work will help the Public Access Workgroup and CBP's jurisdictional partners make informed decisions about locating new public access sites, modifying existing ones, and better engaging new constituents. | Aurelia Gracia |
| Foster Chesapeake Stewardship (GIT5) | Updating the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership (CCP) Priority Habitat Dataset of the Chesapeake Conservation Atlas: A Scoping Project | Skeo Solutions, Inc. | $44,960.00 | Completed 8/4/2023 View Project Fact Sheet. View Final Report here. Final Report Appendices. | The project will produce a report that describes various potential approaches, and associated resources required, for an updated, watershed-wide dataset of important habitat to guide land conservation and terrestrial and aquatic habitat conservation, restoration, and stewardship. This project is the first phase that will lead to a more detailed future project that will update the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership (CCP) Priority Habitat dataset (habitat dataset). This first phase will result in a written document outlining the topics, data sets and analyses needed for updating the existing Priority Habitat dataset, which can be used for targeting, prioritizing, and understanding the value of certain landscapes, connectivity, wildlife, climate, and other important considerations for the Chesapeake region in a habitat context. This shall also include an assessment of how the high-resolution data assists with the evaluation of (1) landscape scale and (2) individual and parcel scale land conservation projects. | Renee Thompson, Bill Jenkins, and John Wolf |
| Enhance Partnering, Leadership, and Management (GIT6) | Assessment of Local Leadership Development Programs | Environmental Leadership Strategies | $19,600 | Completed 4/3/2019 View Final Report here. | This project will identify and research existing local leadership development programs within or near the Chesapeake Bay watershed that have a focus on leadership and secondarily, local watershed and environmental restoration efforts. A description of these programs will be provided that can be used to inform a decision on the need for a Chesapeake Bay Program local leadership development program. This synthesis will focus on making meaningful connections between programs that are intended to build the leadership capacity for local leadership with regard to Chesapeake Bay conservation and restoration; however, it is possible that valuable insight may come from leadership development programs just outside the Bay watershed boundary. This work will provide insight into the current efforts for building local leadership in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, identify gaps in the current efforts, as well as discover successful strategies that are being used in other places outside of the watershed. Research will be used to assess whether a leadership development program is appropriate, necessary and will lead to enhanced local stewardship and increased Bay restoration efforts. | Mike Foreman |
| Enhance Partnering, Leadership, and Management (GIT6) | Designing a Watershed Education Program for Local Elected Officials | EcoLogix Group, Inc. | $73,842 | Completed 12/15/2017 View Final Report here. | The project will focus on information gathering and gap analysis related to audience needs, detailed design of programs, products, etc., and development of cost estimates, funding sources, recommended approaches to sustained implementation, and metrics to evaluate success. | Reggie Parrish |
| Enhance Partnering, Leadership, and Management (GIT6) | Implementation Support for Local Official Watershed Education and Capacity Building | Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay | $49,085 | Completed 1/20/22 View Final Report here. | The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay in partnership with the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology at the University of Maryland will launch a watershed outreach education program for elected officials across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The main objective of this project is to supply educational content to elected officials that is tailored to municipalities in each of the seven jurisdictions and delivered via trusted sources' existing programming. | Dave Goshorn |
| Enhance Partnering, Leadership, and Management (GIT6) | SRS Finance Forum Meeting Planning & Support | Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay | $24,925 | Completed 5/15/2020 View Final Report here. | The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay will provide meeting planning and support for the Strategy Review System (SRS) Finance Forum. The purpose of the Finance Forum is to convene a one-day work session, which will result in identification of finance options and enabling conditions for participating outcomes and the related biennial action plans. | Laurel Abowd |
| Enhance Partnering, Leadership, and Management (GIT6) | SRS Finance Forum Expert Consultants | Eastern Research Group, Inc. | $29,935 | Completed 8/13/2021 View Final Report here. | Eastern Research Group (ERG) will apply its experience procuring expert support to provide Goal Implementation Teams/Workgroups (GITs/WGs) with the advisory services of 10 to 30 private sector environmental finance experts. All experts will attend a one-day Finance Forum and provide post-Forum advice to selected GITs/WGs. ERG will work with the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) to obtain, based on CPB’s priorities, the maximum value of the estimated 400–600 hours of expert support. | Laurel Abowd |
| Enhance Partnering, Leadership, and Management (GIT6) | Cross-outcome Watershed Educational Materials for Local Governments | Green Fin Studio | $49,503 | Completed 5/5/2021 View Final Product here. | We will will develop 4-8 educational models geared towards local governments and local elected officials. The goal will be to educate them on how outcomes from the Chesapeake Bay Watershed agreement can have benefits to local government priorities of of economic development, public health and safety, infrastructure maintenance and finance, and education. | Laura Cattell Noll |
| Enhance Partnering, Leadership, and Management (GIT6) | Planning for Clean Water: Local Government Workshops | Eastern Research Group | $69,983 | Completed 1/5/2024 View Final Report | ERG will provide full-service support to plan, design, execute, and follow up on a set of workshops to equip local planners in the Chesapeake watershed with the knowledge and skills to more effectively plan in ways that support Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement goals and outcomes. We will solicit input from members of the target audience, design workshops that best meet planners' needs, run workshops in three locations, attend to all logistical needs, and develop and disseminate a follow-up webinar to keep momentum moving forward. Our approach takes advantage of pledged partnerships with APA state chapters to offer AICP Certification Maintenance credits. | Laura Cattell Noll |
| Enhance Partnering, Leadership, and Management (GIT6) | A Local Government Guide to the Chesapeake Bay: Phase II | Chesapeake Environmental Communications | $79,800 | In Progress | We will develop 3-4 Chesapeake Bay education modules for local government leaders. This project is the second phase of a project begun in 2020. We will also develop a web repository for the modules developed during this phase, the previous phase, as well as other resources for local government leaders. | Laura Cattell Noll |
| STAR | Summarizing Potential Benefits of Nutrient and Sediment Practices to Reduce Toxic Contaminants | Chesapeake Stormwater Network, Inc | $49,000 | Completed 1/12/2016 View Final Report here. | Toxic contaminants originate from many of the same sources as nutrients and sediments in the watershed. Some of the major sources, and associated toxic contaminants, include wastewater treatment plants (pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and industrial contaminants), chemicals related to crop production (pesticides and insecticides), manure (chemicals to promote animal growth and health), and urban areas (a variety of chemicals in stormwater runoff and sediment). The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership has a toxic contaminant goal. The deliverables from this activity will provide valuable information about current practices being used for nutrient and sediment reduction that might also benefit toxic contaminant reductions. The findings will provide a significant cost savings to the CBP partnership by taking advantage of efforts to meet the Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) to also reduce many toxic contaminants. | James Davis-Martin |
| STAR | Cross-Goal Climate Resiliency Analysis and Decision-Making Matrix and Implementation Methodology | Tetra Tech, Inc. | $77,663.12 | Completed 7/12/2018 View Final Report here. | This project would result in the development of a Climate Resiliency Analysis and Decision-Making matrix and implementation methodology to analyze climate-related factors for 24-independent Management Strategies. Using the Climate Smart Conservation Framework as a guide, the matrix would be used to conduct a structured decision-making process with work one-on-one with select Chesapeake Bay Program Goal Implementation Teams and/or Work Groups to : 1) review management goals and outcomes and establish baselines; 2) identify data, research, monitoring and assessment needs; 3) evaluate the effectiveness of existing BMP’s; and 4) consider appropriate adjustments, revisions or modifications to proposed management actions or best management practices. | Peter Tango |
| STAR | Development of Climate Change Indicators and Metrics for the Chesapeake Bay Program | Eastern Research Group, Inc. | $74,445 | Completed 1/31/2019 View Final Report here. | Eastern Research Group will apply its expertise in climate change indicators, climate resiliency, watershed health, and stakeholder engagement to help the Chesapeake Bay Program develop a comprehensive and balanced suite of climate change indicators. | Peter Tango |
| STAR | Chesapeake Bay Watershed Climate Data and Mapping Repository | Eastern Research Group, Inc. | $29,720 | Completed 7/26/2019 View Final Report here. Climate Data and Mapping Repository | Eastern Research Group (ERG) will apply its expertise in climate change indicators, data analysis, and GIS system development to build an inventory and repository of climate change data layers for the Chesapeake Bay Program. Through a collaborative process, they will establish bounds, identify available datasets, document and categorize data attributes, assess suitability of the data for inclusion, compile links, catalogue data, create metadata, and create new geospatial layers for priority indicators. | John Wolf |
| STAR | Social Marketing to Improve Shoreline Management | Action Research | $74,993 | Completed 9/14/20 Final Survey Results Final Shoreline Implementation Plan | Our team will work with the steering committee to create a campaign to motivate behaviors for improved shoreline management.). We will inventory the knowledge base linked to each of the preliminary sectors and behaviors, and identify gaps where no social marketing research exists. We will then assess and prioritize these behaviors based on a quantitative analysis using literature and expert interviews. For the top ranked behaviors, we will conduct audience research, then use the results to craft an internal positioning statement, strategy tables, and a final report including the 4 "Ps," a budget, and an evaluation and implementation plan. Finally, Action Research will review all existing materials on shoreline protection and create recommendation. | Rebecca Chillrud |
| STAR | Pilot a cost effective, real-time dissolved oxygen vertical monitoring system for characterizing mainstem Chesapeake Bay hypoxia | Caribbean Wind LLC | $80,000 | Completed 1/15/21 View Final Report here. | The objective of this project is to demonstrate a reliable, cost effective, real-time dissolved oxygen vertical monitoring system for characterizing mainstem Chesapeake Bay hypoxia. In collaboration with CBP GIT Teams and regional hypoxia modelers, we will: Select an appropriate demonstration location; design and build a vertical array of inductive CTO2 sensors and a data controller and real-time transmission buoy; deploy, maintain, and monitor the array throughout the summer hypoxia season; and collect, quality control, and make data available in real-time. Follow-up reports will evaluate system performance, reliability, cost and sustainability, and data quality, handling, and availability. We will also share results with hypoxia modelers to determine the best vertical sensor and array locations to support their nowcast-forecast systems. The project team has extensive experience in coastal and estuarine (including the Chesapeake Bay) data collection platforms, as well as CTO2 sensors, data analysis, and quality assurance and control. | Peter Tango |
| STAR | Building a Bay-Wide Scorecard to Track Climate Resilience for Watershed Communities | The RAND Corporation | $75,000 | Closed Early | This proposal describes a project that will develop a bay-wide scorecard that will provide watershed communities with a unified and consistent data-rich method of tracking the implementation and outcomes of policies and actions to improve their climate resilience. Because a climate resilience scorecard may be new to many communities and stakeholders within the region, this project will deliver an attainable scorecard as well as a roadmap for its implementation that are responsive and flexible to the needs and goals of various stakeholders within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The scope of work to develop these products will be led by an interdisciplinary team of climate resilience and policy researchers at the non-profit RAND Corporation and scientists from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). | Julie Reichert-Nguyen |
| STAR | Volunteer Monitoring Support for Macroinvertebrate Sampling to Fill Chesapeake Bay Program Data Gaps | Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay | $50,000 | Completed 7/9/2022 View Final Report here View Video Training Protocol here | The Alliance is uniquely poised to conduct this effort due to our vast experience coordinating and managing the Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative (CMC), a group of volunteer monitoring organizations aimed at providing technical, logistical and outreach support to community- based based chemical and macroinvertrabrate monitoring groups throughout the watershed. Being well versed in water quality monitoring protocols, the CMC team will work collectively with a subset of our volunteer monitoring partners to develop lab analysis benthic monitoring protocols and obtain the necessary equipment for sampling (both picked and unpicked samples) targeted at filling in data gaps for assessing stream health across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. | Peter Tango |
| STAR | Modeling climate impacts on submerged aquatic grasses (SAV) in Chesapeake Bay | Virginia Institute of Marine Science | $75,000 | Completed 5/11/2023 View Final Report here. | The team of researchers based at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science will perform a data synthesis and modeling project in partnership with a steering committee of practitioners and Chesapeake Bay scientists to understand how climate change will impact Chesapeake Bay Submersed Aquatic Vegetation (SAV). The team will fit a series of statistical models that quantify the direct and interactive effects of water quality, rainfall, temperature, land use, and river flow with different SAV species and communities. Then the team will use forecasting scenarios for different rates of sea level rise and changes in land cover, rainfall, and temperature to predict how SAV will respond to environmental change over the next century. The team will also create an interactive web application to allow users to explore different scenarios and the impact on SAV across Chesapeake Bay. | Becky Golden |
| STAR | Partnership-Building and Identification of Collaborative Tidal Marsh Adaptation Projects | Skeo Solutions, Inc. | $74,977 | Completed 8/27/2024 View Final Report here. | This project aims to advance the CBP Climate Adaptation Outcome in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement by identifying needed large-scale tidal marsh restoration projects that maximize marsh benefits under changing climate conditions and require collaboration for success. This project will (1) Build partnerships where organizational priorities align to collaboratively implement the potential projects and; (2) Involve stakeholder engagement activities, including outreach with individual stakeholder groups and facilitation of a two-day workshop. This work includes the compilation of existing resilience and social vulnerability metrics, review of tidal marsh information, identification of stakeholder priorities, and targeted workshop discussions. The project will result in the identification of: (1) regional focus areas in Maryland and Virginia to target large-scale tidal marsh adaptation projects; (2) partnerships that can support collaborative, large-scale tidal marsh restoration and research; and 93) large-scale tidal marsh adaptation projects where funding can be pursued in the short-and long-term. | Nicole Carlozo |
| Communications Workgroup | Advancing Social Marketing Through Two Pilot Programs | OpinionWorks LLC | $75,000 | In Progress | The overall goal of “Scope of Work 11: Advancing Social Marketing Through Two Pilot Programs” includes implementing two pilot behavior change efforts on submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and contaminated fish consumption. The use of the community-based social marketing (CBSM) model has increased across the CBP, but many projects have not moved beyond the “Strategy Design” step, due to limited resources and funding. This project will develop and implement pilot programs for two recent CBSM projects to help move them to the final step, “Implementation and Evaluation.” Additionally, information from both pilots will help inform future social marketing efforts and help move other CBSM projects out of the ”Strategy Design” step. | Rachel Felver |
12
Number of Projects Awarded in FFY22
3
Number of MBE/WBE/SBE/DBE Organizations Awarded in FFY22
5
Number of Non-Profit or Academic Organizations Awarded in FFY22
5
Number of New Organizations to the EPA CBP GIT Program & the Trust Awarded in FFY22
As outlined in the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Diversity and Inclusion Statement, the Trust commits to fostering the inclusion of individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds in all endeavors, partnering with grantees, donors, vendors, and others who also recognize the importance of increasing diversity in efforts to restore and protect our natural resources, and to learning and sharing best practices that increase the inclusion of all local residents in the ongoing effort to restore our natural resources and communities.
Through the EPA Chesapeake Bay Goal Implementation Team Funding Program, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, US Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program, and awardees also seek to furthering these commitments and goals. The table below shares information about projects funded through this program that support efforts to increase Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The GIT funding program has supported several projects focused on DEIJ throughout the years. Below are a few examples. To view a full list of the awarded projects, view the “Awarded Projects” tab.
| GIT Funding Program Projects Aimed at Furthering DEIJ in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed | |||
| Organization | Title | Award Amount | Final Products |
| Tetra Tech, Inc. | Targeted Outreach Tools for Fish Consumption Advisories in Diverse Chesapeake Bay Communities | $49,999 | View the Final Report |
| Innovate! Inc. | Environmental Justice Screen | $29,097.32 | View the Final Report |
| Waterkeepers Chesapeake | Watershed Group and Citizen Monitoring of Fish Habitat/Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) | $52,000 | View the Final Report |
| Skeo Solutions, Inc. | Increasing Diversity in the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership through Cultural Competency Training | $14,973 | |
| Skeo Solutions, Inc. | Targeted Local Outreach for Green Infrastructure in Vulnerable Areas | $64,817 | View the Final Report |
| Chesapeake Conservancy | Cultivating and Strengthening Partnerships with Underrepresented Stakeholders | $65,000 | View Guidance for Environmental Agencies and Nonprofits to Engage with Communities of Color |
| Skeo Solutions, Inc. | Developing Standards and Metrics to Target the Conservation of “Green Spaces” in Underrepresented and Low-Income Urban and Rural Communities | $69,943 | Coming soon… |
| Opinion Works, LLC. | Public Access Research | $74,692 | View the Final Report |
Through the GIT Funding Program, Skeo Solutions created the Green Space Equity Mapper to assist in identifying and prioritizing conservation opportunities in low-income communities and communities of color throughout the watershed with limited or no access to open space.
The Chesapeake Conservancy worked to support the Chesapeake Bay Program to operationalize its DEIJ efforts by developing a better understanding of the needs, barriers, and priorities of organizations led by, and serving, historically underrepresented and underserved communities, such as communities of color.
