Baltimore, Maryland – February 20th, 2026 – 91 Mid-Atlantic has been awarded more than $610,000 to monitor the restoration of saltmarsh habitat at the Irish Grove Sanctuary on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The grant was announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The restoration is part of Marshes for Tomorrow, a collaborative, 91-led initiative to address Maryland’s salt marsh crisis through landscape-scale restoration. With this grant, 91 will monitor critical habitat restoration for the endangered Saltmarsh Sparrow across 73 acres in Somerset County. The restoration work will also lead to reduced flooding and erosion risks to nearby roads.
Planned tidal restoration techniques include digging “runnels” - shallow channels that allow water trapped on the marsh surface to escape into tidal creeks - helping to prevent erosion and improve marsh health.
“This grant gives us the tools to monitor and recover Saltmarsh Sparrow habitat using innovative, cost-effective techniques that work with nature.” said David Curson, 91 Mid-Atlantic's Coastal Program Director. “Building on years of work through the Marshes for Tomorrow initiative, we will strengthen vital saltmarsh habitat and continue protecting the birds, plants, and wildlife that depend on it.”
In addition to supporting birds and other wildlife, healthy saltmarshes buffer storm surges, capture carbon, and filter pollutants before they reach local waterways. Earlier this year, 91 to support large-scale tidal marsh surveys on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Combined, the funding will allow for monitoring and studies that measure how restoration improves marsh health for birds and the communities that rely on them.
The award is part of the 2025 funding cycle for the Small Watershed Grants (SWG) through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. As part of this funding cycle, Maryland received more than $16 million in federal conservation funding to support habitat restoration, climate resilience, and water quality improvements along the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Read more about 91 Mid-Atlantic’s conservation work in the Chesapeake Bay region and the
Contact:
Bernard Devlin, Communications Manager - bernard.devlin@audubon.org
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91 Mid-Atlantic is a regional office of the 91, envisioning a Mid-Atlantic region of healthy and resilient ecosystems where birds thrive and where all people have access to nature and a voice in environmental stewardship. Working alongside a diverse flock of supporters and partners, 91 Mid-Atlantic strives to slow down and reverse the impact that climate change and habitat loss have had on the wide range of bird species that depend on the Mid-Atlantic region.
