Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage (CWH) has recognized the importance of restoring habitat in the western regions of Maryland, southern Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. The mission is to restore critical wildlife habitat on ecologically sensitive land and promote land preservation agreements.

CWH works closely with the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). This program pays landowners to take land out of production and place it into habitat for wildlife in the form of warm/cool-season grasses, trees, and shallow wetlands. CWH's Western Maryland Division and the Blue Ridge Division offer many of the same services as our headquarters in Easton, Maryland, including consultation and implementation of restoration management practices for wildlife.

Western Maryland Division:
The CWH-Western Maryland Division has focused its efforts on education and outreach. It is necessary to communicate to landowners the need to enhance and preserve wildlife habitat. Western Maryland is a critical element for improving water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. Efforts to improve water quality in the Bay itself will never be successful if the water quality of its tributaries are allowed to continue to degrade.

The first shallow-water wetland in Washington County was completed by CWH-West in 2008. CWH restored 10 acres of hydrologically sensitive land on the campus of Saint James School, increasing the biological diversity on campus. The wetland was the final element in a 40-acre CREP project. The wetland is in addition to 30 acres of trees and 7 acres of warm-season grasses. Livestock were excluded from Saint James Run and fencing and watering facilities were provided.

The National Park Service (NPS) continues to be an advocate for CWH-West. Thirty acres of warm-season grass meadows were established by CWH at Monocacy Battlefield in Frederick County in 2008. CWH also implemented habitat restoration with the Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland. A 4-acre riparian buffer was planted along Antietam Creek with the help of 40 of the park's volunteers. Six acres of warm-season grasses were also planted in the field, which allowed NPS to take a floodplain field out of production.

A native landscaping project on Hamilton Run in Hagerstown, Maryland, was completed in 2008 along a trail linking two city parks. This project allows citizens to see what native plants look like and gives them an option over exotic species. As a result of this project, a local Hagerstown nursery established a native plant section, enabling the purchase of trees and shrubs seen on the Hamilton Run trail.

Blue Ridge Division:
The CWH-Blue Ridge Division (BRD) is headquartered near Charlottesville, Virginia. Operations of the Division commenced in January of 2005, with the purpose of continuing CWH's work throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, particularly through creating and restoring wildlife habitat.

The BRD seeks to partner with volunteer landowners to create quality native, warm-season grass meadows, riparian tree plantings, and wetland restorations. Much of this work is accomplished through the USDA's incentive programs, such as CREP and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP).

In 2008, CWH's Blue Ridge Division planted 150 acres of native, warm-season grasses in the James River and Shenandoah River watersheds. Invasive weed control and landowner outreach is a major component of the Division's work.

To learn more please contact the appropriate Program Coordinator listed to the right.