Canaan valley institute (CVI) will work collaboratively with the USFWS S fish and aquatic conservation program and the partners for fish and wildlife program to implement projects to restore habitat…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded Canaan Valley Institute Inc. a $923,098 cooperative agreement under the Fish and Wildlife Coordination and Assistance program (CFDA 15.664) to implement habitat restoration projects benefiting federally listed and at-risk species across priority watersheds in West Virginia from May 2023 through May 2028. CVI will collaborate with the Service's Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program and Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to restore habitat through activities such as riparian buffer planting, stream bank stabilization, barrier removal feasibility studies, environmental permitting, and outreach programs. This work aims to expand recreational opportunities, improve water quality and climate resiliency, and provide economic benefits through jobs and increased tourism in underserved West Virginia communities.

Canaan valley institute (CVI) will work collaboratively with the USFWS S fish and aquatic conservation program and the partners for fish and wildlife program to implement projects to restore habitat for federally listed and at-risk species in priority watersheds in west virginia, including cheat river, canaan valley blackwater, upper potomac, potts creek, west fork, little kanawha, greenbrier, and the ELK river upper kanawha. Through the restoration of priority habitat, these programs are expanding recreational opportunities, benefiting public safety, improving water quality, and promoting climate resiliency for underserved communities throughout west virginia. Additionally, the projects provide economic benefits in the form of jobs, increased tourism, reduced water treatment costs, and reduced costs for road infrastructure repairs.