Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund
Forecasted
Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund supports local conservation partners with watershed restoration and pollution-reduction projects to improve water quality, protect habitats, and strengthen community stewardship.
Funder: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): January 2027 (INSR consultation) | February 2027 (INSR pre-proposal) | April 2027 (SWG proposal) | April 2027 (WILD proposal) | May 2027 (INSR full proposal)
Funding Amounts: $40 million–$60 million annually across programs; SWG awards up to $750,000; INSR awards up to $2 million over five years
Summary: Supports community-based Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration, pollution reduction, habitat protection, and conservation partnerships.
Key Information: INSR applicants must support an established watershed restoration collaborative and complete a pre-proposal consultation.
Description
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund supports local, on-the-ground conservation that improves water quality, restores habitats, and protects key Chesapeake Bay species. NFWF manages the fund with government agencies and private partners, in coordination with the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program partnership. Work includes reducing agricultural and urban runoff, restoring streams and wetlands, protecting forests, establishing oyster reefs, and reconnecting waterways for fish passage.
The fund operates through Small Watershed Grants (SWG), Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR), Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD), and Pennsylvania Most Effective Basins. It also supports technical assistance, restoration innovation, and information-sharing among partners. Priorities include cost-effective restoration, nature-based stormwater infrastructure, community stewardship, and projects delivering multiple water-quality, habitat, and community benefits.
