Charleston, WV (WOAY) – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $827,100 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conserve Brook Trout in the Cacapon Watershed and Thorn Creek, which are in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
“West Virginia is home to amazing wildlife including Brook Trout, the only native trout species in the state, and we are blessed with wonderful recreation areas that support fishing and hunting. As an avid fisherman myself, I’ve enjoyed fishing on our rivers and streams with my kids and now my son takes his children. In return for being able to enjoy our wild and wonderful state, we must care for the wildlife that live here and the areas they inhabit. This funding will help support Brook Trout habitat restoration and conservation projects through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund and I look forward to seeing the benefits for our state in the years to come,” said Senator Manchin.
“Part of what makes West Virginia wild and wonderful is the access the people of our state have to unmatched fishing opportunities,” said Senator Capito. “Increased protection efforts will not only increase the number of fish in our streams, but they will also improve local water quality and benefit local agricultural producers. I have been a longtime supporter of the Chesapeake Bay Program and advocated for its 5- year reauthorization with colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I welcome this funding for restoration measures implemented by local stakeholders so that the beauty of these headwaters will be preserved for generations to come.”
Individual awards listed below:
- $350,630 – Collaborative Conservation and Brook Trout Restoration in the Cacapon Watershed
- $476,470 – Restoring, Enhancing, and Expanding Brook Trout Patch Strongholds in Thorn Creek
