The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $348,648 to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to improve and stabilize living shorelines, and stream and wetlands restoration projects in nontidal wetlands.
“Despite their environmental and economic importance, coastal wetlands in the eastern United States are being lost at twice the rate they are being restored, ” said EPA Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. “This work by the state of Maryland will serve as a model for the more focused protection strategies that we need to reverse this trend.”
“Maryland appreciates EPA’s support in protecting our natural heritage of wetlands and growing green seams of resilience throughout the state, ” added Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles.
The funds will be used to expedite the review, approval and construction of living shorelines to achieve multiple environmental benefits and reduce the loss of wetlands in Maryland. In addition to MDE, the Virginia Institute for Marine Science, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and Shoreline Conservation Service are also partners in this effort.
Living shorelines are a green infrastructure technique using native vegetation alone or with other natural elements to stabilize coasts, bays, or tributaries.
Living shorelines provide a natural alternative to “hard” shoreline stabilization methods like stone sills or bulkheads, and provide numerous benefits including pollution remediation, essential fish habitat, and buffering of shoreline from waves and storms.