News Release

2023 Chesapeake Gateways Grants Award $2.4 Million

Date: November 1, 2023
Contact: Brent Everitt

Annapolis, Md. – The National Park Service (NPS) awarded $2,367,633.17 in Chesapeake Gateways Grants through the NPS Chesapeake Gateways Office in September to fund 22 projects. Governmental and non-governmental organizations spearhead the projects funded by Chesapeake Gateways grants to bring out familiar, untold, under-appreciated, or yet to be uncovered narratives and to promote resilient communities & landscapes through tourism, sustainability, conservation & local economies throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These awards are made possible through annual appropriations from Congress.

“Through these awards, our partners will affect meaningful change throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed,” said NPS Chesapeake Gateways Superintendent Wendy O’Sullivan. “These projects are significant elements of our ongoing effort to refresh the National Park Service commitment to Chesapeake places, partners, and communities.”

This year’s awards are distributed to:

• The Accokeek Foundation Inc. ($47,731) Maryland – Expanding Access to Black and Indigenous Narratives of the Potomac

• Baltimore Green Space ($150,000) Maryland - Springfield Woods Local Leader Legacies

• Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation ($106,885) Virginia - Four Mile Run All-Ability Water Access Point

• The James River Association ($149,520.56) Virginia – Seeing is Believing - Linking 5th Grade Hampton City Students with Local Culture and Nature through Outdoor Environmental Education

• Jefferson County Parks & Recreation Commission ($109,621.90) West Virginia – Development of a Comprehensive Parks Master Plan for Moulton Park.

• The Rappahannock Tribe ($147,807) Virginia – Connecting the Public to Rappahannock Tribal History and Stewardship of Natural Resources

• Susquehanna National Heritage Area ($150,000) Pennsylvania – Susquehanna Discovery Center & Heritage Park - Master Plan & Interpretive Framework

• Backyard Basecamp, Inc. ($150,000) Maryland – Weeds to Woods Naturally Urban Workforce Development Program

• Baltimore Tree Trust, Inc. ($49,85) Maryland – Baltimore Tree Trust and Baltimore Peace Movement’s Memorial Tree Plantings

• EcoLatinos, Inc. ($125,517.46) Maryland – Enlace: Engaging and Empowering Latino Youth through Environmental Experiences and Education

• Nanticoke Historic Preservation Alliance ($150,000) Maryland – Three Cultures Center at Handsell Historic Site

• Fairfax County Park Foundation ($45,798.15) Virginia – The Wonder Wagon: A Mobile Nature Center for Fairfax County

• The Friends of the National Arboretum ($147,565) Washington D.C. – Diversifying Volunteer Programs in the Anacostia Watershed

• The Mariners’ Museum ($147,884)- Virginia – Mariners' Lake Access Initiative

• The National Park Trust ($35,000) Maryland – National Park Trust and Bowie State College Ambassadors Explore the Chesapeake Gateway Region

• The Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region ($50,000) Washington D.C. – Kingman Rangers Interpretive Program

• Baltimore County ($150,000) Maryland – Bi-Lingual Ranger Community Engagement Pilot Project

• Green Muslims ($35,000) Washington D.C. – Green Muslims ODIG! for Adults: Our Deen is Green! Meaningful Watershed Education Experience (MWEE) for Grownups

• Virginia Outdoors Foundation ($77,000) Virginia – Living on the Edge: Uncovering and Sharing the Stories of Bull Run Mountain’s Diversely Peopled Past

• City of Charlottesville ($49,976) Virginia – Discovering Diversity to Advance Inclusion, Accessibility, and Equity in Charlottesville

• Defensores de la Cuenca ($149,975.10) Maryland & Washington D.C. – Access to Action: Engaging the Latino Community of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

• Black in Marine Science ($142,500) Pennsylvania - Using eDNA and Storytelling to Understand the Social and Ecological Histories of African Americans in the Chesapeake Bay

NPS Chesapeake Gateways offers competitive grant opportunities to advance the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998 within the full 41-million-acre Chesapeake Bay watershed. In addition, the office administers the Chesapeake Gateways and Watertrails Network (Chesapeake Gateways), co-convenes the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership, and represents the NPS at the Chesapeake Bay Program. 

Chesapeake Gateways Grants are available annually. To learn more about how to apply, head to the NPS Chesapeake Gateways website.

About the National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways: Established by Congress in 1998, NPS Chesapeake Gateways is a partnership network and community assistance program. Headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, the office serves the full 41-million-acre Chesapeake Bay watershed, providing authentic Chesapeake experiences for 21st Century communities and visitors. Visit us at www.nps.gov/Chesapaeake, on Facebook www.facebook.com/ChesapeakeNPS, and Instagram www.Instagram.com/ChesapeakeNPS.

About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 425 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice and Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice.-NPS-