Anne Arundel County Watershed Restoration and Forestry Grant

Anne Arundel County Watershed Restoration and Forestry Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Chesapeake Bay Trust
Amount: US $15,000 - US $300,000
Last Updated: November 15, 2025

Summary

The Anne Arundel County Watershed Restoration Grant Program, in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Trust and local authorities, aims to enhance water quality in local streams through funding watershed restoration projects. This year, the program has expanded to include restoration projects in Annapolis and introduces a new category for acquiring flood-prone properties. The initiative emphasizes diversity and encourages applications from underrepresented groups, focusing on sustainable environmental practices and cost-effective solutions.

Overview

Note: *Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Trust staff to schedule a site visit and discuss applications at least two weeks prior to the deadline.  The deadline for pre-application site visit scheduling is the "pre-proposal" deadline above. The Anne Arundel County Watershed Restoration Grant Program is a partnership between the Trust, the Anne Arundel County Bureau of Watershed Protection and Restoration, and the City of Annapolis. This award program aims to improve water quality in the County’s local streams and waterways, as called for in the County’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit and County and City of Annapolis’ Stormwater Management Inventory and Watershed Improvement Plan, which require reductions in storm flow volume and pollutants entering the County’s waterways. What is NEW this year? This grant program now accepts applications for restoration projects located in the City of Annapolis and includes a new Category for the County’s potential acquisition of non-tidal flood prone and/or natural resource rich properties! What this funds: The Anne Arundel County Watershed Restoration Grant Program will fund projects to reduce pollutants through the implementation of watershed restoration practices. Projects must accomplish on-the-ground restoration that treats rainwater runoff from impervious surfaces at a cost-effective price or demonstrates the accomplishment of another metric that will help the County and City meet local water quality and runoff reduction improvement goals. Applications under this award program that demonstrate sound design and cost efficiency in meeting this goal will be most competitive. To demonstrate this, applicants will be required to provide sound technical designs and project budgets as outlined in this application package. In this grant program, we have traditionally included two categories of project types: Category 1 projects are small-scale restoration projects and Category 2 projects are large-scale restoration projects. In FY21, we are adding an evaluation track for the County’s potential acquisition of non-tidal flood prone and/or natural resource rich properties whose preservation can assist the County in meeting its environmental regulatory goals and help mitigate flood risk (Category 3 projects). The Trust is committed to the advancement of diversity and inclusion in its award-making and environmental work. As a result, the Trust strongly encourages applications directly from underrepresented groups, and for projects that increase awareness and participation of communities that are traditionally underrepresented, such as communities of color. For a full description of the Trust’s efforts to engage under-engaged groups, see our strategic plan here and here.

Eligibility

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