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Foundation For PA Watersheds Awards $122,000 In Projects To Improve Water Quality
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Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds awarded $122,000 in grants for focused on improving abandoned mine drainage, acid precipitation, and Marcellus gas impacts, as well as projects focused on documenting water quality improvements.
FPW funding will leverage more than $2.6 million in local, state, and federal project funds, a 1 to 22 ratio.
“We are pleased to provide project funding that leverage project funds—that was the primary driver for founding our organization. With dwindling state funding, it is more important than ever that we work to provide beneficial funding; that is why we support and fund the Renew Growing Greener Coalition. We continue to increase our fundraising efforts, and projects like these show our funders the value of our foundation,” said R. John Dawes, Executive Director.
Projects funded include:
-- Blair County Conservation District $12,500 to evaluate a segment of the Little Juniata River with the intent of removing 4.2 stream miles from the state’s Integrated Waters’ List. Chemical, physical monitoring, and flow monitoring will be included. Additionally, the District is also working with the Fish and Boat Commission to potentially receive a ‘wild trout’ designation.
-- Citizens Coal Council was awarded $20,000 for work relating to longwall mining permit reviews, public commenting, and a report of findings.
-- Clearfield County Conservation District was awarded construction funds for the Morgan Run #7 project. This abandoned mine drainage project will significantly reduce chemical loadings into the stream, and water quality improvement to more than one mile of Morgan Run. This project augments previously funded projects, and shows a systematic approach to addressing AMD issues within the watershed. Additionally, the project will include site restoration, which includes planting more than 1,000 trees.
-- Elk County Conservation District was awarded project funds to finish the installation of the fourth acid deposition system within the Mill Creek Watershed. Project funds were for construction materials and will leverage local, state, and federal funds exceeding $1.18 million.
-- Moshannon Creek Watershed Association was awarded $5,000 to develop a spoil pile removal plan that included permitting for Moshannon Creek. The project, if determined feasible, would result in: removing 160,000 cubic yards of spoil; restoring 4 acres; reclaiming a 2,000 linear foot highwall; restoring natural stream flow to 300 linear feet; reducing AMD impacts to 1.8 stream miles.
-- Pennsylvania Envirothon was awarded $10,000 for sponsorship of the Aquatic Ecology station at the 2012 Canon Envirothon. This represents the 25th anniversary of the Canon Envirothon. The event will be held in Pennsylvania at Susquehanna University. Students from 46 states and nine Canadian Provinces are expected to participate.
-- Stream Restoration, Inc. was awarded $15,000 for replacement of the Jennings Environmental Center’s acid mine drainage treatment system. This system was one of the first systems constructed within the state, and has been the subject of Department of Energy, and numerous other studies. The system provides an educational experience to more than 1,200 students annually.
-- Trout Unlimited was awarded $17,500 for a chemical evaluation of Potts Run. The project is intended to provide baseline data that will aid in developing a watershed restoration plan. This sub-watershed was not included in the extensive work completed as part of the West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Plan.
-- Loyalhanna Watershed Association was provided $12,000 for a demonstration project relating to Marcellus Shale. The project is intended to monitor methane gas migration, and provide baseline data on an existing water well. The project is replicable, and has applicability throughout the Marcellus and other shale regions.
“We’ve worked closely with these grantees in developing their projects. There is definitely a benefit for grantees and prospective grantees to talk with us prior to submitting their paperwork. Not all funders have such an ‘open-door policy’, but we pride ourselves in, and our Board expects us to work with our grantees to develop good proposals and great projects,” said Branden S. Diehl, Grant and Project Consultant.
FPW also discussed GenOn Settlement Fund, project solicitations. Those grant awards we be announced shortly, and will expend nearly $500,000—the first settlement installment amount. The second round of GenOn funds will be focused on funding existing projects that didn’t meet the initial project guidelines, but were submitted for consideration.
FPW will announce its 2012 funding schedule shortly. Watershed groups are encouraged to visit Foundation website and subscribe to the weekly newsletter. The newsletter focuses on grant procedure changes, watershed news, and grant announcements.
For more information contact Branden S. Diehl by calling 814-669-4244 or sending email to: projectwater@pennsylvaniawatersheds.org.
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12/12/2011 |
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