On January 11, the Department of Environmental Protection awarded 2 Growing Greener grants totaling $171,659 to rehabilitate a mine drainage treatment system in Clarion County and a project to plant a stream buffer to reduce erosion and construct habitat improvement structures in Lehigh County.
Over the last few weeks, DEP announced a total of $11,652,697 Growing Greener grants for watershed restoration, mine drainage treatment, flood damage reduction and water quality improvement projects in Beaver, Bradford, Cambria, Centre, Clarion, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Lancaster, Lehigh, Lycoming, Luzerne, McKean, Montgomery, Northumberland, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Venango, Washington, Wyoming and York counties.
Clarion County
DEP awarded a $93,000 Growing Greener grant to the Clarion County Conservation District to rehabilitate an acid mine drainage treatment system.
The grant will be used to rehabilitate an abandoned passive mine discharge treatment system. The improved system will treat up to 40 gallons per minute of mine water, which has low pH levels and high levels of heavy metal pollution.
The water flows into the Clarion River, a popular destination for boaters and anglers, and the project will be adjacent to the Clarion County Park.
“This project will not only improve the quality of the water going into the Clarion River, it will also improve the overall aesthetics of the neighboring park, which is a win-win,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.
Lehigh County
A $78,659 Growing Greener grant was awarded to the Lehigh County Conservation District to stabilize nine-hundred and eighty feet of streambank along Leibert Creek, which flows into the primary water supply for the city of Allentown.
The project, which is a combined effort between the conservation district, Wildlands Conservancy, and the Fish and Boat Commission includes planting buffers along a portion of the stream to decrease erosion and constructing 25 habitat structures in an unnamed tributary to the creek which will improve aquatic life and help with the stabilization of the streambank.
Once complete the project will allow for educational opportunities along the creek for the public.
“This is an opportunity to improve a creek that contributes to a major city’s water supply,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “The benefits of this grant will help with water for consumptive and recreational use.”
The Growing Greener grant program is supported by the Environmental Stewardship Fund, which receives its funding from landfill tipping fees and a transfer from the Marcellus Shale Legacy Fund.
Click Here for more information on DEP’s Growing Greener Plus Grant Program.
Resources
For more information on buffers, financial and technical assistance available, visit DCNR’s Forest Buffers and DEP’s Stormwater Management webpages.
CFA Accepting Applications
The Commonwealth Financing Authority will accept applications from February 1 to May 31 for its Act 13 Watershed Restoration Grants which includes funding control nonpoint source pollution runoff, which includes agricultural operations. Click Here for more.
New DCNR Grant Round
Learn more about grant opportunities to support riparian buffer, trail and recreation projects, visit DCNR’s Community Conservation Grant Program webpage. A new grant round is opening January 22 and will close April 10. Click Here for more.
Forest Buffer Summit
Registration is now open for the DCNR and Western PA Conservancy Pennsylvania Riparian Forest Buffer Summit on February 20-21 at the Best Western Premier Conference Center, 800 East Park Drive in Harrisburg. Click Here for more.
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