The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and the Dominion Foundation recently awarded $30,000 to 20 environmental organizations in 13 counties across the Commonwealth as part of their 2017 Watershed Mini Grant Program.

Awardees included the following organizations, which received its award at a reception on April 18:

-- Allegheny Aquatic Alliance of Freedom, Beaver County. received $2,000 for its 6th annual cleanup of Connoquenessing Creek, a tributary of the Beaver River. Funds will be used to help with the cost of garbage disposal and outreach items for the event.

-- Aultman Watershed Association of McIntyre, Indiana County. received $2,000 to continue a restoration project on Neal Run. Funds will be used to purchase high-calcium limestone for an auto-flushing, vertical flow pond, which will generate alkalinity and remove metals.

-- Bennett Branch Watershed Association of Benezette, Elk County received $415 to print updated brochures that highlight their restoration success.

-- Bucktail Watershed Association of Emporium, Cameron County. received $1,200 for its efforts to control the spread of invasive plants, such as Japanese knotweed, along the stream banks of the Sinnemahoning Creek watershed. The organization will also use funds to send out newsletters to their members.

-- Conemaugh Valley Conservancy of Johnstown, Cambria County received $900 to distribute their Annual Report, as well as their Stream Team Adopt-A-Site and West Penn Trail brochures.

Creek Connections at Allegheny College of Meadville, Pa. received $1,500 for pH test kits to continue measuring water quality in local watersheds.

-- Crooked Creek Watershed Association of Ford City, Armstrong County received $475 for printing and distributing their newsletters.

-- Emigh Run/Lakeside Watershed Association of Osceola Mills, Clearfield County received $1,940 to continue water quality monitoring on Emigh Run and Hubler Run. Funds will pay for sample analysis costs.

-- Evergreen Conservancy of Indiana, Indiana County received $2,600 for water quality monitoring, environmental outreach and a restoration project. Funds will be used to maintain data loggers and associated equipment, produce newsletters and remediate a stream bank on Laurel Run in Yellow Creek State Park.

-- Forbes Trail Chapter of Trout Unlimited of Laughlintown, Westmoreland County received $950 to continue outreach efforts for the Laurel Highlands Trout Trail.

-- First Fork Watershed Association of Coudersport, Potter County received $800 for outreach materials.

-- French Creek Valley Conservancy of Meadville, Crawford County received $1,400 for educational and promotional display items.

-- Kiskiminetas Watershed Association of Greensburg, Westmoreland County received $2,650 for restoration work on their West Leechburg property. KWA will remove invasive species and old concrete, replant the area and install informative signage.

-- Nine Mile Run Watershed Association of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County received $2,400 for a fish passage and stream bank stabilization project. Funds will be used to purchase the rock and plant materials needed to undergo the stream restoration.

-- North Fork Watershed Association of Brookville, Jefferson County received $1,150 to produce an educational brochure and install educational signage about the watershed throughout the county.

-- Seneca Chapter of Trout Unlimited of Port Allegany, McKean County received $1,400 for data loggers and associated hardware to better monitor water quality.

-- Sewickley Creek Watershed Association of Youngwood, Westmoreland County received $2,400 to purchase water quality monitoring equipment that will be used as part of an education partnership with local students at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and California University.

-- Tubmill Trout Club Unlimited of New Florence, Westmoreland County received $1,500 to purchase hemlock logs for a restoration project.

-- Turtle Creek Watershed Association of Murrysville, Westmoreland County received $1,500 to install educational signage at two watershed access points on the Westmoreland Heritage Trail.

-- Upper Allegheny Watershed Association of Roulette, Potter County received $1,000 for the production of education and outreach materials.

The grant program provides assistance to the region’s watershed groups. This year’s awards cover program expenses in three areas: water quality monitoring, watershed restoration, and organizational promotion and outreach.

Since 2005, WPC and the Dominion Foundation have collaborated to help enhance water quality and watershed initiatives through this grant program, which has awarded $343,475 to more than 115 organizations.

“The Mini Grant Program offers invaluable funding for smaller volunteer-based organizations and helps them to administer and complete a variety of different projects – like tree plantings and water monitoring – that are important to sustaining and enhancing local watersheds,” said Don Houser, Dominion Energy’s state policy advisor.

More information is available on programs, initiatives and special events at the Western PA Conservancy website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Conservancy, Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, add them to your Circle on Google+, join them on Instagram, visit the Conservancy’s YouTube Channel or add them to your network on Linkedin.

(Photo: Brenda Costa of the French Creek Valley Conservancy accepted the 2017 grant award from Dominion employees, Environmental Supervisor Jen McCloskey and State Policy Advisor Don Houser.)

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[Posted: April 24, 2017]

5/1/2017