In This Issue

• Network Updates
• Incase You Missed It
• Upcoming Meetings
• Trainings, Workshops, & Conferences
• Recommended Reads
• Funding Opportunities
• Jobs & Internships
• About the DRCN

Milliner Farm is located at the headwaters of Folly Creek in Accomack County. The property covers 66 acres with 29 acres of mixed growth forest, 25.5 acres of agricultural fields, and 4,565 feet of perennial stream beds draining to Folly Creek. Milliner Farm will add to the conserved lands on Folly Creek for a total of 1,756 acres. Preserving the forested buffers on Milliner Farm will contribute to water quality in Folly Creek. Belote Farm is near Onley, Virginia. It covers 166 acres with 39 acres mixed growth forest and 117 acres of agricultural fields. 



Maryland Department of Environment’s Wetlands and Waterways Protection Program (WWPP) is currently undertaking a study of permitting for ecological restoration projects, as required by HB 869 which passed in Maryland’s 2022 legislative session. In addition to a comprehensive study of permitting for ecological restoration projects, the legislation requires WWPP to “develop legislative and regulatory recommendations” for changes to the regulatory framework, and to issue a report by June 2024. This study is an opportunity to promote the changes to permitting in Maryland that will be needed if we are to accelerate the pace of tidal marsh restoration and save this ecosystem from climate-driven sea level rise.

On November 9th, tidal wetlands were featured at a meeting of the ERP study group and MDE invited presentations by several restoration practitioners. Co-chair of DRCN’s Restoration and Resiliency Committee, David Curson of Audubon Mid-Atlantic, presented the case for scaling-up tidal wetland restoration. Rich Mason of US Fish and Wildlife Service, presented on innovative restoration techniques, and Al McCullouch of Sustainable Science LLC, presented on living shorelines. You can find their presentations below.

Meeting Presentations

(Dave Curson, Rich Mason, Al McCullough)

Thanks to funding from the Grayce B. Kerr Foundation, the Rural Maryland Council's MAERDAF grant, and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s technical assistance grant, ESLC has recently begun a research project with a North Carolina company called Urban 3 to survey land use across the Eastern Shore. Local governments on the Eastern Shore face increasing development pressure in order to meet the rising demands of public services like education, affordable housing, infrastructure maintenance, and adaptation to climate change. Many communities are struggling financially to provide basic services given current property tax revenue levels and therefore are unable to prioritize connection, affordability, sustainability, conservation, or the environment. But targeted research can help. The goal of ESLC’s project with Urban 3 is to survey and organize land use data so that it can be shared with local governments, empowering them to implement more environmentally sound and sustainable land use practices. Studies in Florida and Louisiana show that when local governments evaluate land use and utilize their limited land resources to prepare for the impacts of sea-level rise, communities and neighborhoods become more equitable and have less communal impact on water and air quality. ESLC anticipates similar positive results for communities on the Eastern Shore.  



Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is excited to join American Farmland Trust’s (AFT) Land Transfer Navigator Program. Under this program, ESLC will work with groups across the nation to learn and develop unique strategies to assist in the transfer of agricultural lands to the next generation of farmers. The average age of a farmer in the United States is almost 60 years old and land acquisition becomes more expensive and more challenging every year, leaving many concerns for the next generations of farmers. The skills that ESLC staff will gain through AFT's program will help us to bridge the connection between retiring farmers and those seeking new farming opportunities. These connections will increase access to agricultural lands and ensure that such land will be retained as agriculture in the future.

Steve Kline Inducted as Chair!

Steve Kline (President of Eastern Shore Land Conservancy) stepped into the role of DRCN Steering Committee Chair during the DRCN Fall Steering Committee meeting (Thursday, October 19th). Former Steering Committee Chair and Co-Chair Dan Murphy (USFWS) and Kate Patton (LSLT) nominated Kline for the role due to his conservation leadership on the Eastern Shore and his initiative in acquiring funding for the DRCN. A Steering Committee co-chair will be identified in the new year. Reach out to SKline@eslc.org if interested!

The U.S Fish & Wildlife Service, in partnership with National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), will be soliciting grant proposals early 2024 through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund (DWCF) and the Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) Grant Program. Through these grant programs, USFWS strives to conserve and restore habitats for fish and wildlife and connect people to our natural resources across the Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay watersheds.

Quick Facts:

• Funding Amounts: Approximately $14 million will be awarded through the DWCF and $8 million through Chesapeake WILD.
• Timeline: The Request for Proposals (RFP) for both programs will be released mid-January with proposals due mid-March. Grant award announcements will be made late summer/early fall 2024.

Resources:

• NFWF Field Liasons: NFWF Field Liaisons are contractors who are experienced at answering questions about the application process and working one-on-one with grant applicants to develop grant proposal content.
• Webinars: Multiple information webinars will be hosted in advance of the submission deadline, with posted recordings (Jan dates TBD, refer to above grant program links for updates) (illustration by: Sophia Blanco Seufert, USFWS)
• Proposal Labs: Both programs will host virtual proposal labs throughout the open RFP period. These coaching sessions are intended to provide a space and time for prospective applicants to share new proposal ideas and receive feedback. Proposal lab signups will go live early 2024, visit the websites above for updates!