A Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grant has been awarded to the City of Lexington. The $200,000 grant will go toward renovations that will capture and filter rain water in the city, helping to reduce pollution in waterways caused by run off. Lexington is one of 41 recipients to receive grant funds for Chesapeake Bay Watershed restoration and outreach initiatives.

Here is the press release from Mariner Media.

The City of Lexington is the recipient of a $200,000 Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) Grant.  The grant is awarded through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund to the Thompson’s Knoll Green Affordable Housing Production Program.

In making the August 28th announcement, the Chesapeake Bay Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) noted the grant will be applied to the integration of green stormwater infrastructure. Rain gardens, bioswales, bioretention ponds, permeable pavements, etc. will be installed throughout the development to capture and filter rain water where it lands. This model significantly reduces run off which is the major cause of pollution in our waterways.

Thompson’s Knoll is a unique partnership among advocates for affordable housing and advocates for conservation. “Lexington is a headwaters community whose actions contribute to the health of the Chesapeake Bay. We are pleased and proud to be awarded this grant which will allow the City to model the very best stormwater management practices to protect the health of our local watershed and beyond,” says Kitty Sachs, special projects coordinator for the City. “This was a very competitive grant process and the award acknowledges the innovative and environmentally conscientious characteristic of the Thompson’s Knoll neighborhood.”

Lexington is one of 41 recipients of $9.2 million in grants for restoration and outreach initiatives in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed’s six states and the District of Columbia.  ”The Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund is a model, public-private partnership that has demonstrated its ability over time to achieve measurable and significant on-the-ground conservation results that benefit people, fish, wildlife and the communities of the Chesapeake,” said David O’Neill, Director of the Eastern Partnership Office at NFWF. “Through these grants, diverse agencies led by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the U.S. Forest Service, pool resources with private funding from  Altria, Wal-Mart, Wells Fargo, FedEx and others to make smart and cost-effective investments that directly benefit the Bay and its rivers.”

“These innovative projects, envisioned by non-profits, local governments and other agencies, are an illustration of the incredible commitment people have to restoring our rivers and streams. With NFWF’s invaluable support these projects will make a difference, supporting progress toward a Bay that is increasingly healthy and resilient,” said Jeff Corbin, EPA Senior Advisor for the Chesapeake Bay and Anacostia River. “All of these efforts underscore the level of engagement we need from everyone in making daily choices for clean local and regional waters.”

For more information about the Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program, visit www.nfwf.org/chesapeake. For more information about Thompson’s Knoll, visit www.thompsonsknoll.com.