West Virginia

Bat Conservation International
Creating Native Prairie in Right-of-Ways to Increase Insects for Declining Bat Populations (IL, WV)
Improve foraging conditions for bats as a long-term and scalable strategy to improve survival and aid recovery of bat populations impacted by White-nose Syndrome. Project will determine if restoring native plant communities on rights-of-way in Illinois and West Virginia can increase available insect prey for bats, particularly during fall and spring.
$224,999

Canaan Valley Institute
Berkeley County Green Infrastructure Implementation and Workforce Development Partnership (WV)
Combine implementation of stream restoration and green infrastructure projects with hands-on training to create the region’s first green collar workforce. Project will combine design, installation and maintenance of best management practices for water quality improvements with training, improve local understanding and appreciation for sediment and nutrient removal methods and create a workforce pipeline for local governments and nonprofits to pull from for future implementation.
$751,476

Canaan Valley Institute
Coordinating Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture Strategies and Goals (multiple states)
Continue the activities of the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture in the historic range of the species. Project will refine the strategic objectives and key conservation priorities of the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture using the results of the recently completed status assessment of wild brook trout at the catchment scale.
$74,999

Friends of the Cheat
Removing a Barrier to Fish Passage on the Cheat River to Restore Historic Habitat (WV)
Reconnect historic riverine habitat for eastern hellbender, eastern brook trout and freshwater mussels and reduce sedimentation to improve water quality on the mainstem of the Cheat River in West Virginia. Project will remove one barrier to aquatic organism passage, restore access to more than 74 miles of stream and hundreds more miles of tributaries and identify areas that are suitable for occupancy by hellbenders and eight species of freshwater mussel.
$199,081

Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Testing New Methods to Engage Institutional Landowners in Sustainable Forestry in a Landscape Context (WV)
Develop and test effective means to engage certified institutional landowners and family landowners in West Virginia in implementation of dynamic forest block management that benefits forest bird species. Project will improve 7,650 acres of forest habitat, increase occupancy and abundance of golden-winged warbler, cerulean warbler and wood thrush on 20 sites and establish a path for institutional landowners to meet Sustainable Forestry Initiative landscape requirements for certification.
$199,856

The Potomac Conservancy
Establishing and Protecting Riparian Forest Buffers in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
Reduce nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment pollution and restore riparian habitat while addressing clean drinking water goals in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. Project will accelerate implementation of riparian forest buffers to reduce polluted runoff and improve water quality, conserve existing high-value riparian buffers with perpetual conservation easements and conduct targeted outreach to enhance the implementation and long-term protection of riparian forest buffers.
$357,792

Trout Unlimited
Restoring and Reconnecting Brook Trout Strongholds in the South Branch of the Potomac (WV, VA)
Mitigate a large barrier to fish migration on the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River, reconnecting and restoring two of the largest brook trout strongholds in the Chesapeake Bay. Project will reconnect 150 miles of headwater sources, improve water quality and habitat through agricultural best management practices and help to create a 239 square mile brook trout stronghold super patch.
$492,619

University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center
Integrating Water Quality Improvement with Hazard Mitigation in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle
Tailor the Environmental Finance Center’s blended learning model for improving local water quality to the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia and integrate it with ongoing hazard mitigation planning. Project will expand the capacity of governments to take action on water quality improvements and hazard mitigation needs in a coordinated way that creates efficiencies and reduces implementation costs.
$49,998