U.S. Senator Ben Cardin recently announced a major victory for the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the economic vitality of the Port of Baltimore as he secured Senate Appropriations Committee approval of $37.5 million for the first year of construction for the Mid-Chesapeake Bay Island Ecosystem Restoration Project.

The project , which will rebuild the fast-disappearing James and Barren islands in Dorchester County, will provide a significant expansion of habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife species through the beneficial use of material dredged to maintain the shipping channels for the Port of Baltimore.