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Nature Conservancy’s $500,000 grant aids oysters

By WTOP Staff

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A large-scale oyster sanctuary is being constructed in the Piankatank River as part of a project to restore the briny delicacy to 10 Virginia tributaries by 2025.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Friday announced a $500,000 grant from The Nature Conservancy to help construct the $3.8 million project. The conservancy is part of a joint venture between the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Piankatank project in Middlesex County is aimed at bolstering oyster stocks throughout the river.

McAuliffe said the sanctuary will help clean the water, provide habitat for other species and create future generations of the hard shell.

The reef will be off limits to oyster harvesting.

Disease and pollution decimated the Chesapeake Bay’s oyster stocks.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Emergency guide: What you should do to prepare for emergencies

By WTOP Staff
WASHINGTON — Do you know what you'd do if an emergency hits? What if you're at work, your spouse is stuck in traffic and your children are in school? There's no way to plan for every emergency, but you can make sure you're prepared for different scenarios, including making a plan for your family and building a kit of emergency supplies.
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