The Department of Environmental Protection this week announced $1.2 million in Coastal Zone Management Grants to organizations dedicated to protecting and preserving Pennsylvania’s coastal zones along Lake Erie and the Delaware Estuary, saying the investment was important to the regions’ economies.

A list of grants awarded is available online.

“Pennsylvania’s 120 miles of coastline generate income from recreation, tourism and commercial fishing, so they play an integral role for the economies of the northwest and southeast, not to mention the broader state economy,” Gov. Rendell said. “These grants will fund projects that will help improve and sustain that role, protect and manage coastal fisheries, encourage land-use planning and conserve our existing coastal resources.”

The grants were awarded to 35 non-profit organizations and government agencies in counties that border Pennsylvania’s coastal zones or have a direct impact on water quality in those areas.

Coastal zone management grants support programs that measure the impact of various pollution sources, improve public access, and educate the public on the benefits of the state’s coastal zones.

Coastal zones and adjacent shore land face increasing pressure from development, erosion, biodiversity losses and pollution. Pennsylvania has two coastal areas: 57 miles of coastline along the Delaware Estuary and 63 miles of coastline along Lake Erie.

The Delaware Estuary coastal zone lies within Bucks, Delaware and Philadelphia counties and contains islands, marshes and the shore lands of tributaries that are affected by ocean tides. The Delaware Estuary supports the largest freshwater port in the world.

The Lake Erie coastal zone is located within Erie County and includes the shorelines of major tributaries. The zone extends to the middle of the lake, to the boundary with Canada and inland 900 feet within the city of Erie.

The majority of coastal zone management grants are funded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from money made available by the federal government. Since 2003, the Pennsylvania Coastal Resource Management Program has provided more than $8.5 million in funding for coastal zone projects.

The next application period for coastal zone management grants will open in the summer of 2010. Nonprofit groups, educational institutions, local governments and authorities, and state agencies are eligible.

For more information, visit DEP's Coastal Zone Management Program webpage.