The Coldwater Heritage Partnership recently announced that over $70,000 in grants have been awarded to local organizations to protect and conserve Pennsylvania’s coldwater streams.

The Coldwater Heritage Partnership is a cooperative initiative among PA Trout Unlimited, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Fish and Boat Commission, and the Foundation for PA Watersheds.

The Coldwater Heritage Partnership awards both planning and Implementation grants to conservation organizations across the state. 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.

Organizations that received an implementation grant will complete projects identified in previously completed coldwater conservation plans. Potential projects must enhance, conserve, or protect coldwater streams for which the original coldwater conservation plan recommended.

“Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited is excited to award grants to worthy organizations for the conservation and protection of their local streams,” stated Brian Wagner, President of the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited.

Grants have been given to the following organizations:

Planning Grants

-- Allegheny Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Clearfield County: $6000 to assess the headwaters of the Sandy Lick Creek and provide valuable water quality, macroinvertebrate and fishery data to identify potential chapter projects and provide a hands on educational experience for local Trout in the Classroom students.

-- Dauphin County Conservation District, Dauphin County: $6,000 to compile current water quality data, conduct water monitoring, and to draft a coldwater conservation plan to restore and protect the aquatic habitat in Manada Creek.

-- Lackawanna County Conservation District, Lackawanna County: $4,116 to study the chemistry of the Lackawanna River.

-- Upper Allegheny Watershed Association, Potter County: $4,330 to gather and evaluate information on the coldwater streams of the Allegheny River headwaters system in order to prepare a Conservation Plan.

Implementation Grants

-- Juniata Clean Water Partnership, Blair County: $10,000 to help to restore the stream banks and trout habitat through the construction of in stream structures and riparian vegetation plantings in Plum Creek.

-- Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Warren County: $10,000 to restore fish passage and reduce erosion and sedimentation caused by the flooding of forest road 156 due to insufficient culverts in Morrison Run.

-- Northampton County Conservation District, Northampton County: $10,000 to fulfill recommendations in the Conservation Plan to restore or establish forested riparian buffers as needed along Fry's Run, stabilize eroding stream banks and improve aquatic habitat for fish.

-- Bedford County Conservation District, Bedford County: $10,000 to enhance habitat for wild trout populations and improve fish passage and bank stability through the construction of new devices and repair and maintenance existing devices in Wallack’s Branch of Bob’s Creek.

-- Penns Valley Conservation Association, Centre County: $10,000 to restore eroded stream banks and plant a 35 foot or wider riparian buffer of native trees and shrubs in a key 800 foot segment of Muddy Creek.

Besides offering grants, the Coldwater Heritage Partnership works to provide leadership, coordination and technical and educational assistance to organizations interested in protecting coldwater ecosystems.

For additional information, please contact Samantha Kutskel at 814-359-5233, or visit the Coldwater Heritage website.

2/18/2013