Watershed Assistance Grant Program 2025

The Chesapeake Bay Trust is a nonprofit grant-making organization established in 1985 to support the health of the Chesapeake Bay, its rivers, streams, forests, and surrounding communities. Supported by revenue from Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay license plate and partnerships with federal, state, and regional entities, the Trust has awarded more than $210 million in grants to diverse applicants across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Trust’s mission is to engage and empower groups to implement projects that enrich natural resources and strengthen local communities. The Watershed Assistance Grant Program is a partnership between the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. The program provides funding for local governments and nonprofit organizations in Maryland, West Virginia, and designated counties in Pennsylvania. Its purpose is to advance watershed restoration and planning efforts by supporting early-stage project readiness, stream restoration and stormwater management designs, and comprehensive watershed planning. The program is structured into two tracks: Project Design and Watershed Planning and Program Development. Track 1, Project Design, funds up to $100,000 for stormwater best management practice design projects and up to $150,000 for stream restoration, wetland restoration, and living shoreline design. The goal is to develop construction-ready designs that can achieve water quality improvements, reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads, and be permittable by appropriate agencies. Track 2, Watershed Planning and Program Development, provides up to $75,000 to support planning documents, watershed characterization, surveys, action plans, programmatic development, financing strategies, and policy development that accelerate future restoration implementation. Both tracks require well-justified budgets and strong demonstrations of cost-effectiveness. Eligible applicants include municipal, county, and regional agencies, nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, community and homeowners associations, soil and water conservation districts, resource conservation and development councils, forestry boards, and higher educational institutions. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate collaborations, obtain landowner permissions where necessary, and consider ecological, community, and sustainability benefits. Projects must align with local or state watershed implementation plans and broader restoration goals. The program is also tied to the Maryland Watershed Assistance Collaborative, which provides technical and planning support to applicants. Applications must be submitted through the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s online system, which requires applicants to complete eligibility quizzes, provide organizational and project details, outline timelines, identify deliverables, describe partnerships, and upload budget documents. Narrative responses must address the evaluation criteria, which include justification and project need, technical soundness, likelihood of success, stakeholder involvement, sustainability, community relevance, and budget reasonableness. Applicants are encouraged to contact the program officer at least two weeks before the deadline for guidance. The application window for FY26 opened on August 5, 2025. Applications must be submitted by November 7, 2025, at 4:00 PM Eastern Time. The program anticipates approximately $1.4 million in available funds for projects in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and $400,000 for projects in West Virginia, contingent upon federal Environmental Protection Agency funding. Projects should be completed within 12 to 16 months of award receipt, and award notifications are expected in March 2026. Ten percent of the total award is withheld until the final report is received and approved. For assistance, applicants may contact Megan Diehl, Senior Program Officer, at 410-974-2941 ext. 139 or mdiehl@cbtrust.org.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact Trust staff two weeks prior to deadline, coordinate with permitting agencies, and provide strong letters of commitment from partners and landowners.