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Funding available to help oyster growers

As part of an ongoing commitment to aquaculture, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is making $260,000 available through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program to oyster growers to help restore oyster beds on private shellfish grounds in Virginia’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay.

“Virginia watermen are farmers, too,” NRCS State Conservationist Dr. Edwin Martinez said. “They take much the same risks and work hard to bring in good yields that will sustain them another year.

“We are proud to continue this partnership to provide these producers with the financial and technical assistance they need to maintain their operations while also supporting long-term improvements in bay water quality,” he added.

Producers who receive services from the Gloucester, Tappahannock, Warsaw, Accomac, Chesapeake, Quinton and Smithfield NRCS service centers may be eligible to participate in this project. Interested individuals must submit a signed Virginia Marine Resources Commi...

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