$6 million in federal funding gifted for environmental and community projects in Annapolis

U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth announced that more than $6 million in federal funding has been secured for projects in Annapolis aimed at strengthening environmental conservation, public safety and community services.

How will the funding be spent?

More than $3 million of the funding will go to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Of that, $2 million will support the department's ongoing efforts to mitigate invasive blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay. Officials say the invasive predator threatens the Bay's ecosystem by preying on native species.

"We've done a lot of the planning, we've done a lot of the coordination, but this money is going to go towards implementation," Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Joshua Kurtz said. "It's going toward building a greater understanding of blue catfish, the science behind it, and how we eradicate it."

Another $1 million will help DNR with resilience efforts at Holly Beach Farm, an environmentally sensitive waterfront property in Anne Arundel County that is expected to open to the public this year.

"It is an environmentally sensitive area that this year will soon be open to the public," Elfreth said.

A little more than $1 million will also go to the Annapolis Police Department to purchase a new mobile command unit.

"We've been in dire need of a mobile command unit to make sure we are as responsive and on the ground for our citizens as possible," Elfreth said.

The funding package also includes roughly $800,000 for the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science to establish a permanent headquarters in Annapolis.

In addition, about $1 million will go to the Anne Arundel County Community Action Agency to support re-entry and rehabilitation efforts for people returning to the community after incarceration.

"It allows us to meet returning residents where they are and walk them through the most fragile phase of reentry, the first year," said Dr. Charlestine Fairley, CEO of the Anne Arundel County Community Action Agency.

The awards will now head to the recipient agencies, which will begin putting the federal funding toward the projects in the coming months.