The Department of Environmental Protection has awarded more than $900,000 in annual coastal zone management grants to organizations dedicated to protecting and preserving Pennsylvania's coastal zones along Lake Erie and the Delaware Estuary.

Non-profit organizations, schools and universities, local government organizations, authorities and state agencies are encouraged to apply for the 2013 grants which are due October 15.

Coastal zone management grants support programs that measure the impact of various pollution sources; improve public access; preserve habitats; and educate the public about the benefits of the state's coastal zones.

"The coastal waters of the Delaware Estuary and Lake Erie are two of Pennsylvania's many ecological assets," DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. "We are committed to protecting these assets, and the grants will enhance our ongoing efforts to maintain our coastal waters."

The annual grants, largely funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, were awarded to 26 non-profit and government organizations in counties that border Pennsylvania's coastal zones or have a direct impact on water quality in those areas.

NOAA is a federal agency under the Department of Commerce with programs in each state that work to inform residents of the changing impacts of weather and water resources. In Pennsylvania, those programs include the National Ocean Service and National Weather Service.

Coastal zones and adjacent shore land face increasing pressure from development, erosion, biodiversity losses and pollution. Pennsylvania's two coastal areas are a 112-mile stretch along the Delaware Estuary and 76 miles along Lake Erie.

The Delaware Estuary coastal zone is in Bucks, Delaware and Philadelphia counties and contains islands, marshes and the shore lands of tributaries that are affected by ocean tides. The Delaware Estuary is considered one of the largest freshwater ports in the world.

The Lake Erie coastal zone is in Erie County and includes several major tributaries' shorelines. The zone extends 3.6 miles inland on the eastern side and about 800 feet on the western side of the City of Erie, all to the middle of the lake, which is the Canadian boundary.

A list of grants awarded is available online.

For more information, visit DEP’s Coastal Zone Management Grants webpage.

8/27/2012