THE 2025 SCHOLARSHIP application IS now CLOSED!

Deadline for Application was: April 4th, 2025

MSRA established the Jim Gracie Memorial Scholarship in 2021 to aide students pursuing education in the natural resources industry who demonstrate a passion for streams and the environment with preference given to disadvantaged applicants. We are aiming to raise additional funds through our Golf Tournament and other avenues to allow the scholarship fund to have a greater impact in helping students fund their education. For questions about the scholarship, please email mdstreamrestoration@gmail.com with subject: Scholarship. 

James W. “Jim” Gracie was a pioneer in stream restoration and cold-water conservation in Maryland. He grew up in Baltimore and was an avid fly fisherman. Jim was a founding member and past president of MSRA and founded many non-profit organizations. He also founded an environmental consulting firm Brightwater, Inc. specializing in stream restoration. Jim was integral in establishing the pooled monitoring initiative to help answer questions and improve stream restoration. For over four decades he devoted his energy to work passionately on policy, monitoring, education and outreach, industry growth, and restored streams, to improve our watersheds. Jim’s love for those who shared his vision knew no boundaries. He celebrated diversity and loved to teach others and watch them grow.