The Department of Environmental Protection this week announced $1.23 million in grants for 35 projects intended to protect and enhance Pennsylvania’s coastal zones along the Lake Erie and the Delaware Estuary shorelines.

The Coastal Zone Management Program provides grants and technical assistance to nonprofit groups, local governments and state agencies to improve public access, protect natural resources, expand strategies to improve local economies, promote proper planning and conserve coastal resources.

The grants finance projects such as rehabilitating stream banks and restoring riparian buffers to reduce pollution flowing into waterways; reforesting urban areas, managing stormwater runoff; and developing new technologies to locate and address unseen sources of pollution.

A list of all grants awarded is available online.

Pennsylvania has two coastal areas: 57 miles of coastline along the Delaware Estuary and 63 miles of coastline along Lake Erie.

11/3/2006