Environment

Call for Proposals to Conserve the Chesapeake Bay

Apr 11, 2016 2:00 PM ET

As a supporter of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), CSX is encouraging organizations to apply for grants aimed to restore the habitats and water of the Chesapeake Bay.

NFWF's Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund is designed to protect and restore the Bay by helping local partners clean up polluted rivers and streams with innovative and efficient conservation solutions.

Due on Tuesday, May 10, 2016, grant proposals should specify plans to achieve at least one of these conservation objectives:

  1. Targeted River and Watershed Restoration, specifically improving water quality, and restoring and recovering species, including the brook trout, river herring, and native oysters.
  2. Green Infrastructure in Developed Landscapes, aiming to expand and integrate the local authorities’ capacity to build green infrastructure strategies, as well as accelerate practices on public and private lands.
  3. Regional-Scale Restoration Program Delivery, seeking to establish and sustain new institutions for on-the-ground support.
  4. Innovation on Crosscutting Issues, focusing on cost-effective and innovative solutions that accelerate the pace of recovery.

CSX’s support of this initiative exemplifies its longstanding commitment to the environment.

In 2013, CSX announced a partnership with NFWF to protect natural resources in the Chesapeake Bay watershed near the origins of CSX’s original predecessor, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. As a part of the relationship, CSX’s funding is combined with contributions from other corporate partner and federal grants to create a greater combined impact through NFWF’s distribution.

Together, CSX and NFWF have helped:

  • Restore and repopulate of 20 acres of oyster reefs with 100 million fossilized oyster shells that were moved from Florida to Maryland by CSX.
  • Restore 786 acres of critical habitat, 79 acres of urban green infrastructure, 55 miles of stream and 32 miles of riparian habitat.
  • Reduce water pollution by more than 1.5 million pounds annually.

To learn more about the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund and how to apply for a grant, please visit NFWF’s website.