The Water Resources Education Network (WREN) Project, a program of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund, has announced the award of more than $106,000 in funding to community partnerships across the state.

Projects will carry out water resources education projects in the coming year. Funding comes from the Department of Environmental Protection for activities that will either address nonpoint source pollution issues on a watershed basis or help protect sources of drinking water.

The successful grantees of the 2005-2006 WREN grant program are:

Drinking Water Source Water Protection Projects

· Ashland Area Municipal Authority, Schuylkill County: $1,600 to erect spill response signs along two major highways Route 61 and Interstate 81-that pass through the watershed and distribute a brochure and newsletter about actions system users can take to protect the community's source water. Steve Ulceski, 570-875-2411, ashland@sunlink.net

· Claysville Donegal Joint Municipal Authority, Washington County: $2,950 to introduce source water protection education to area elementary students using a Talking About PA TAP-Water Kit and coloring books and to produce and distribute brochures to residents served by the Authority Peggy Hickman, 724-663-7770, cdjma@cobweb.net

· Dillsburg Area Authority, York County: $2,500 to design brochures about the importance of protecting the high quality groundwater which is used by the Authority for the community water system Sheldon K. Williams, 717-502-0431, skwdaa@adelphia.net

· East Greenville Borough Water Authority, Montgomery, Lehigh, Berks Counties: $4,000 to introduce source water protection education to area elementary students using a Talking About PA TAP-Water Kit, curriculum guides and a poster contest. The partnership will also produce a display board and brochure highlighting the authority's existing SWP efforts and ways the community can get involved with future efforts. Jim Fry, 215-679-5194, egb@netcarrier.com

· Land Conservancy of Adams County, Inc., Adams, Franklin, Cumberland Counties: $4,250 to design and produce bill inserts, bookmarks, restaurant placemats, and a display to raise awareness of the importance of preventing contamination of the 7 groundwater wells and one surface water intake which comprise the Gettysburg Municipal Authority's public drinking water supply. The partnership will also install signs identifying the locations of the source water areas. Sidney E. Kuhn, 717-334-2828, skuhn@adamscounty.us

· Meadville Area Water Authority, Crawford County: $4,215 to develop a coloring book about good source water protection practices in the home, develop an on-site tour of the water treatment plant, including the use of educational models, produce a brochure identifying the source water protection area and provide educational materials to the public library and schools about SWP . Yvonne Shaffer, 814-724-6057, yshaffer@amwater.com

· Octoraro Watershed Association, Lancaster, Chester and Cecil, MD County: $5,000 to design, print and distribute a calendar which will provide information about agricultural best management practices which will prevent contamination of the source waters which provide the Chester Water Authority's drinking water supply Patrick Fasano, 717-529-2132, owa1@epix.net

· Pennsylvania Rural Water Education Foundation, Statewide: $5,000 to develop a Source Water Protection Activity workbook aimed at elementary to middle school age children covering both surface and groundwater. Once created, the Activity Workbook will be placed on CD_ROM and made available to surrounding communities embarking on SWP plan development. Don Muir, 814-353-9302, dmuir@prwa.com

· Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, Montgomery, Bucks, Berks, Lehigh Counties: $5,000 to hold Source Water Protection workshops emphasizing the source of local water supplies, challenges of maintaining a high quality supply, and the ways contaminants can be prevented from entering the water supply. Workshops will demonstrate ways citizens can protect their drinking water sources. Crystal Gilchrist, 610-287-9383, cgilchrist@perkiomenwatershed.org

· Roamingwood Sewer & Water Association, Wayne County: $5,000 to hold teacher and volunteer workshops, purchase groundwater simulators and EnviroScape models for the Association's speaker program, and produce large posters explaining the interaction between the water cycle and land use activities. The partnership will also distribute handouts and reference material to students and hold Triple E Award ceremony for teachers and students recognizing their efforts to educate about SWP. Kevin Dunn, 570-698-4034, ownkvn@aol.com

· Stream Restoration Inc., Multiple Western PA & Northern WV-Counties: $5,000 to arrange for presentations, watershed related posters and displays, guided narration, and networking during the Ohio River Watershed Celebration River Cruise to educate the community about the importance of protecting Pittsburgh's and the 10 county surrounding region's source water Margaret Dunn, 724-776-0161, sri@streamrestorationinc.org

· Union City Municipal Authority, Erie County: $2,525 to design brochures, purchase models and establish an on-going water quality monitoring program in the area school to persuade students and parents to adopt behaviors that will prevent contamination of the community's water supply Marsha Manager, 814-438-3611, drbrumagin@aol.com

· Upper Dublin Environmental Protection Agency Board, Montgomery County; $2,960 to purchase a groundwater simulator for classroom instruction and hold a pamphlet design contest for senior high school students. The partnership will select and distribute throughout the community the three pamphlets which best describe the actions homeowners and businesses can take to protect the community's sources of drinking water. Stanley Ropski, 215-643-8212, sjropski@aol.com

· Washington Twp. Supervisors, Westmoreland County: $5,000 to continue to produce newsletters, posters, brochures, and presentations for citizens of the Beaver Run Reservoir emphasizing the need to eliminate discharge points that lead to pollution of sources of the community's drinking water supply John Turack, 724-727-3515, jturack@washingtontownship.com

Watershed Protection Projects

· Bedford County Conservation District: $4,705 to use newsletters, resources from the Master Well Owner Network, watershed and groundwater models, and table top displays to illustrate to citizens of the Six Mile Run and Bloody Run watersheds the negative impacts of nonpoint source pollution such as abandoned mine drainage and failing septic systems. Through a watershed festival and storm drain stenciling, the partnership will educate property owners about actions they can take to protect their water resources. Guy Stottlemyer, 814-623-8099, gmstottlemyer@earthlink.net

· Borough of Media, Delaware County: $4,000 to create and distribute customized educational packets aimed at homeowners, local officials, developers, realtors, and nurseries and how each can reduce nonpoint source pollution in Ridley Creek using tree and plant management techniques to control the amount and quality of stormwater runoff Jeffrey Smith, 610-566-5210, jasmith@dca.net

· Bradford County Conservation District: $3,500 to hold workshops and provide incentives to encourage homeowners to adopt proper on-lot septic system management practices which will result in decreased nonpoint source pollution in the Susquehanna River of the Chesapeake Bay watershed Mike Lovegreen, 570-265-5539, mike.lovegreen@pa.nacdnet.net

· Bucktail Watershed Association, Cameron County: $4,160 to design and distribute newspaper inserts, brochures, placemats and public service announcements focused on reducing nonpoint source pollution in the Sinnemahoning Creek with proper management of the forested areas and control of sedimentation from roads located in the First Fork and the Driftwood Branch of the creek Ken Straub, 814-486-0387, ken.straub@ntcac.org

· Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance, Union, Centre Counties: $4,500 to upgrade their website, produce and distribute newsletters, hold public events for residents of the watershed, and encourage creek property owners to plant riparian buffers so that nonpoint source pollution in the Buffalo Creek from erosion, agriculture and stormwater runoff can be reduced Allan Grundstrom, 570-524-0966, algrund@bucknell.edu

· Dublin Township Supervisors, Fulton County, Fulton County: $4,000 to assemble and distribute informational materials and provide a workshop and economic incentive to encourage homeowners to adopt proper on-lot septic system management practices which will result in decreased nonpoint source pollution in the Aughwick Creek Scott Alexander, 717-485-3547, scott_fccd@pa.net

· French Creek Project PA Environmental Council, Erie, Crawford, Mercer & Venango Counties: $4,871 to hold a “Better Stormwater Management Through Site Design” Workshop based on PA Dept of Environmental Protection’s Stormwater Manual. The workshop, aimed especially at municipal officials, will use a Stormwater BMP demonstration site developed by the partnership. Armed with resources to adequately review and critique proposed land development projects within the watershed, nonpoint source pollution from stormwater within the French Creek watershed can be reduced. Mark Gorman, 814-332-2946, mgorman@pecpa.org

· Huntingdon County Conservation District, Huntingdon & Centre Counties: $1,395 to produce bookcovers for area school students in and surrounding the Spruce Creek watershed and hold a workshop designed to equip municipal officials with tools, including ordinance changes, to deal with nonpoint source pollution resulting from land development, agricultural enterprises and in-stream flow reductions from groundwater withdrawal from the high quality trout stream Andy Patterson, 814-627-1627, hccd@papower.net

· Lehigh County Conservation District, Lehigh County: $5,000 to organize the many recommendations from completed watershed assessments, community audits, comprehensive plans, and ordinance reviews into a format for use by decision makers in efforts to create public policies that will reduce nonpoint source pollution in the Leibert Creek Watershed Rebecca Hayden, 610-391-9583, rhayden@lehighconservation.org

· Pocono Environmental Education Center, Pike County: $4,500 to erect signage at the Center illustrating how the use of best management practices to control stormwater will reduce nonpoint source pollution in the Delaware River. The partnership will also hold a workshop aimed at best management practices for stormwater management. Erich Schramm, 570-828-2319, eschramm@peec.org

· Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation & Development Council, 10 Counties in Northeast PA: $5,000 to publish and distribute a stormwater management handbook, develop a website, and host workshops focusing on best management practices aimed at local officials whose efforts include reducing nonpoint source pollution in streams and rivers located in the 10 county region Irvil Kear, 570-282-8732, icpmik@infionline.net

· Venango Conservation District: $4,500 to hold stormdrain stenciling events and distribute doorhangers to show homeowners and the business community how adopting new behaviors can reduce the amount of nonpoint source pollution entering the Oil Creek and the Allegheny River Lance A. Bowes, 814-676-2832, lbowes@csonline.net

For more information, contact Sherene Hess, WREN Project Director, 724-465 4978 or send email to: sherenehess@yourinter.net

5/27/2005