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Coldwater Heritage Partnership Announces 2011 Grant Recipients
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The Coldwater Heritage Partnership this week announced over $60,000 in grants have been awarded to local organizations to protect and conserve Pennsylvania’s coldwater stream habitats. CHP is a cooperative initiative among DCNR, Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited, the Fish and Boat Commission, and the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds.
The next grant round opens in September.
"This type of grassroots conservation work is vital for the future of the state's coldwater streams and wild trout fisheries,” said PFBC Executive Director John Arway. “Coldwater conservation plans help to build local awareness and support for the long-term stewardship of coldwater streams and their surrounding watersheds.”
Grants have been made to the following organizations:
-- Chester Ridley Crum Watershed Association, Chester County: $8,000 to construct three selected buffer and one stormwater project on the West Branch of Crum Creek. Also continue workshops, mailings, and on-site landowner technical assistance to help landowners implement coldwater conservation plan recommendations.
-- Clearfield County Conservation District, Clearfield County: $6,038 to create a coldwater conservation plan for Snyder and Spring Run, which will provide invaluable baseline water quality data for these streams as Marcellus Shale gas well drilling activity increases in the area. The plan will also identify possible future projects and educate the public about this very important natural resource.
-- Allegheny Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Clearfield and Jefferson Counties: $3,260 to perform a comprehensive analysis of the Irish Run watershed in order to create a conservation plan.
-- Trout Unlimited Eastern Abandoned Mine Program, Clinton and Centre Counties: $6,000 to determine the extent and causes for the apparent declines in brook trout populations in Wolf Run and Eddy Lick Run.
-- Columbia County Conservation District on behalf of the Briar Creek Association for Watershed Solutions, Columbia County: $5,788 to conduct physical biological and chemical assessment and to use known data to generate a plan for conservation action on Briar Creek.
-- Huntingdon County Conservation District, Huntingdon County: $7,975 to enhance native brook trout populations in Miller Run by replacing a stream crossing that is currently a barrier to fish migration and conducting aquatic surveys on the stream to guide future enhancement projects.
-- Lehigh County Conservation District, Lehigh County: $6,000 to carry out a watershed and stream assessment for the Trout Creek Watershed.
-- Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Luzerne County: $6,000 to conduct a preliminary coldwater heritage conservation watershed assessment plan and project implementation recommendation plan for Solomon Creek that will lead to future enhancement projects related to the native brook trout populations within the watershed.
-- Somerset County Conservation District, Somerset County: $5,628 to assess the Whites Creek watershed in order to obtain baseline data on the watershed that will assist in ecologically safe future development.
-- Forbes Trail Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Westmoreland, County: $6,000 to begin reconnecting Mill Creek, the largest source of coldwater and summer trout habitat, to the delayed harvest section of the Loyalhanna Creek, by teaming with the municipal recreation board in their approved Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape Initiative Rails-to-Trails stream crossing project.
“Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited is excited to award grants to worthy organizations for the conservation and protection of their local streams,” stated Ken Undercoffer, President of the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited.
This year the CHP awarded planning and implementation grants. Organizations funded by a planning grant will be responsible for creating a “Coldwater Conservation Plan” that gathers existing data about the coldwater ecosystem; identifies potential impacts, threats, problems and opportunities to our coldwater streams; formulates a plan of action for proposed conservation and protection strategies; and builds community awareness and support for the conservation of our coldwater streams.
Besides offering grants, the Coldwater Heritage Partnership works to provide technical and educational assistance to organizations interested in protecting coldwater ecosystems.
For additional information, please contact Samantha Kutskel at 814-359-5233 or send email to: c-kutskel@state.pa.us or visit the Coldwater Heritage Partnership website.
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4/18/2011 |
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