They Get Their Feet Wet!

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) Watershed Assistance Center recently received two grants that will help support their award-winning technical assistance program.

Late last year, the Center was notified by EPA that it was awarded an Assessment and Watershed Program Protection Grant in the amount of $50,000 to assist grassroots organizations with abandoned mine drainage (AMD) issues. It is anticipated that much of this funding will be focused toward ongoing efforts to remediate AMD in the West Branch of the Susquehanna Watershed. The grant has the possibility of becoming up to a $250,000 cooperative agreement over a three-year period with EPA.

In addition, the Center was recently awarded a grant in the amount of $120,000 from the Growing Greener program to continue providing cost-free assistance to watershed groups and other qualifying organizations with legal, scientific, administrative and educational issues.

Organizations within the Ohio, Susquehanna, Lake Erie, Potomac and Genesee watersheds are eligible to receive assistance supported by this grant. Organizations located within the Delaware watershed may also receive assistance from the Center, which will be provided by WPC as a match to the Growing Greener grant.

Since the inception of the Watershed Assistance Center in 2001, 267 organizations have received assistance from the program, and 1,601 total requests for help have been answered.

For more information visit the Watershed Assistance Center webpage, email: wac@paconserve.org or call 724-459-0953

1/21/2005