Foundation For Pennsylvania Watersheds Awards More Than $300,000 In Conservation Grants; Next Funding Opportunities

On June 9, the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds announced more than $300,000 in grant awards to advance the protection and restoration of Pennsylvania’s waterways. 

Awardees will use the funds to improve water quality and enhance ecosystems across the state through stream restoration, land protection, water quality monitoring, and outreach and education projects. 

Together, these projects are anticipated to conserve more than 600 acres, engage more than 600 volunteers, plant more than 2,000 trees, and improve more than 22 miles of streams.

“Across the state, Pennsylvania nonprofits and conservation districts are working hard to address environmental issues that affect all residents,” said Executive Director Deborah Nardone. “FPW is proud to support these projects, from dam removals and riparian buffer plantings to educating professionals and community members about important issues.” 

FPW is awarding the following 22 conservation project grants for a total of $304,300: 

-- American Rivers, $20,000 – Feasibility study for removing New Cumberland Dam while maintaining municipal water supply.

-- American Rivers, $10,000 – Riffle repair at the former Oakland Dam site to improve paddler safety and fish passage.

-- Berks Nature, $10,000 – Supporting four watershed associations in Berks County through education, restoration, and water quality testing.

-- Centre County PA Senior Environmental Corps, $2,500 – Continued water quality monitoring in Centre County streams.

-- Chesapeake Legal Alliance, $15,000 – Maximizing ecological impact of the $341M Conowingo Dam settlement for the Lower Susquehanna.

-- Clean Air Council, $10,000 – Building capacity of the Naamans, Marcus Hook, and Stoney Creek Watersheds Alliance to protect Delaware River sub-watersheds.

-- ClearWater Conservancy, $25,000 – Conservation easement on 153-acre East Branch Creek property.

-- Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, $15,000 – Operating AML-Connect, a collaboration platform for Pennsylvania's abandoned mine land reclamation community.

-- Foundation for Sustainable Forests, $10,000 – Fee purchase of 428 forested acres in Mercer and Venango Counties for conservation.

-- Kingsley Township, $10,000 – Bank stabilization along Tionesta Creek to reduce erosion and sediment.

-- Mountain Watershed Association, $15,000 – Purchase of 9.75 forested and wetland acres adjacent to MWA's office in Melcroft.

-- Nanty Glo Water Authority, $20,000 – Source water assessment of Williams Run Reservoir to identify remediation strategies.

-- National Aviary Pittsburgh, $20,000 – Investigating PFAS exposure and food web transfer in Louisiana Waterthrush along headwater streams.

-- National Wildlife Federation, $15,000 – Choose Clean Water Coalition outreach to educate decision-makers on clean water policies statewide.

-- Pennsylvania Trout, Inc., $15,000 – Coldwater Heritage Partnership supporting coldwater ecosystem conservation organizations statewide.

-- Riverlife, $15,000 – Floating wetland gardens on the Allegheny River to improve water quality and support native species.

-- Somerset Conservation District, $20,000 – Improve aquatic passage on North Fork Bens Creek.

-- Watershed Alliance of York, $6,800 – Design and permitting for Myers Mill Dam removal on Codorus Creek.

-- Watersheds of South Pittsburgh, $10,000 – Water quality and habitat monitoring for Saw Mill Run.

-- Western PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, $15,000 – AMD training class for nonprofit watershed community members.

-- Wildlands Conservancy, $10,000 – Riparian buffer restoration along 15 acres of Lehigh Valley waterways.

-- Wildlife Leadership Academy, $15,000 – Training high school youth as Conservation Ambassadors in wildlife and fisheries conservation.

The total combined cost for these projects is more than $6 million, underscoring the power and potential of environmental and conservation partnerships across the Commonwealth.

Unassessed Waters Initiative

Additionally, FPW awarded more than $140,000 to nine colleges, universities, and nonprofits involved in the Unassessed Waters Initiative. 

This partnership between FPW and the Fish and Boat Commission engages colleges, universities, and nongovernment organizations to document the presence or absence of wild trout populations in previously unassessed waterways of Pennsylvania. 

Since its inception, nearly 40,000 stream miles have been assessed, with 17,529 miles of stream upgraded to wild trout waters. 

Raccoon Creek Benefit Fund

Also this year, FPW launched the Raccoon Creek Benefit Fund, a new grant program to support community-led efforts to restore, preserve, and protect water quality in the Raccoon Creek watershed. 

This opportunity is a result of a consent decree following a complaint filed by the Department of Environmental Protection, PennEnvironment, and Three Rivers Waterkeeper regarding the discharge of polystyrene pellets (nurdles) into Raccoon Creek. 

Nonprofit organizations, local watershed and friends groups, conservation districts, municipal or government entities, higher educational institutions, and more can now apply for grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, depending on the type and scale of the project.

Click Here to learn how to apply.

Next Round Of Grants

FPW provides matching grant funds to both small and large groups and organizations throughout the Commonwealth. 

Through FPW’s grantmaking, assistance is provided to conservation organizations to achieve their restoration goals, while ensuring enough clean water for future generations of Pennsylvania children, families and wildlife. 

The next conservation grant application cycle opens this summer with a first-stage deadline of Sept. 18, 2026. 

To learn more, visit the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds website. 

[Posted: June 9, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

DEP Investigation Finds CNX Gas Company LLC Shale Gas Facilities Caused The ‘Diminution’ Of 2 Private Water Supplies In Bell Twp., Westmoreland County

On April 29, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection issued six notices of violation to three CNX Gas Company LLC shale gas facilities saying its investigation found the CNX facilities were the cause of “diminution” of two private water supplies in Bell Township, Westmoreland County.

DEP also posted formal letters on its Water Supply Determination Letters webpage notifying the owners of the two water supplies of the results of their investigation-- water supply #1 and water supply #2.

The letters identified CNX Gas Company LLC as the cause of their water issues.

The names of the owners of the water supplies were redacted from the letters to protect their privacy

The violations were issued to these CNX facilities grouped in a single complex--

-- MAM 15 Well Pad: 7 shale gas wells drilled in 2024 (3), 2026 (4): Inspection/Violation Report; Inspection/Violation Report

-- Mamont 15 Aboveground Water Storage Tank Facility + Waterlines: Inspection/Violation Report; Inspection/Violation Report

-- Mamont 16 Well Pad: 12 shale gas wells drilled in 2022 (4), 2023 (2), 2024 (2) and 2025 (4) Inspection/Violation Report;  Inspection/Violation Report

The original complaints from the water supply owners were filed on December 15, 2025 and involved loss of water in both the wells.

Notices To CNX

DEP sent two formal notices of the water supply diminution investigation findings laying out the responsibilities of CNX to restore or replace the water supplies and to provide temporary water to each of the affected water supply owners-- Notice 1 and Notice 2.

The notices required CNX to, among other actions--

-- Provide temporary water to the affected residences within 24 hours;

-- Provide DEP with a Plan within 15 days to propose permanent actions to correct the problems;

-- A schedule to implement the Plan within 45 days; and

-- Submit proposed arrangements between CNX and the users, landowners and/or water purveyors of the water supply to do all necessary work for the use of a permanently restored or replaced water supply.

DEP added-- “If some or all of these restoration or replacement activities have been conducted, please provide the results of those activities along with the supporting documentation with your Restoration or Replacement Plan.”

CNX Response

On May 14, CNX Gas Company LLC provided two responses to DEP’s violations-- CNX Response 1 and CNX Response 2-- one for each water supply (names redacted).

CNX opened each response by saying--  “CNX expressly disputes the Department’s conclusion that its activities caused any alleged diminution or impact to the referenced water supply….”

“The Department has not identified the specific CNX operations, wells, or activities it contends caused the alleged impact, nor the hydrogeologic pathway by which any such impact allegedly occurred.”

CNX also alleged one “complaining” landowner “has devices installed on or in connection with their water supply system that are consistent with a history of water availability issues predating CNX’s operations.”

In addition, CNX alleged “the subject water supply well(s) are of a depth that would not ordinarily be susceptible to impact from surface or near-surface activity associated with CNX’s operations.”

CNX said “temporary water service was made available to the landowners at the onset of the complaint on or about December 15, 2025.”

CNX said one of the landowners “denied service at this time and no requests for additional water have been made since that time. CNX will continue to make temporary water available upon request, without prejudice to its position.”

CNX said the second landowner advised CNX on March 27, 2026 “that his well was producing sufficient amounts of water and that he no longer required water service.  No requests for additional water have been made since that time.”

“CNX will continue to make temporary water available upon request, without prejudice to its position.”

CNX expressed concern about the potential impacts of the notices of violation on the company.

“CNX further notes that the public issuance of NOVs [notices of violation], regardless of their ultimate merit or resolution, causes immediate and concrete harm to CNX beyond the face of this proceeding.”

“The number of outstanding or historical NOVs is among the most commonly used metrics in that assessment, relied upon not only by the Department in penalty and permitting contexts, but by third-party organizations that track and publicize operator compliance data. 

“An NOV that is later resolved, withdrawn, or shown to be unsupported does not automatically remove itself from those records or correct the reputational and regulatory harm caused by its initial issuance. 

“CNX therefore has a concrete and ongoing interest in the prompt and accurate resolution of this matter, and in ensuring that any NOV that cannot be supported by the evidence is withdrawn rather than allowed to remain in the Department's enforcement record.”

CNX formally requested DEP withdraw the violations.

At this writing, the violations are still available online.

The Environmental Hearing Board website does not contain any appeals of the water supply determination letters by CNX or other documents related to this water supply impact case.

Difficult Compliance Record

In addition to being convicted of criminal charges, the environmental compliance record of CNX Resources and its related companies in Pennsylvania is-- difficult.  

Here are a few examples--

-- Natural Gas Pipeline Pigging Facility Malfunction Dec. 27 Released 1.1 Million Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas; Same Facility Plagued Community With Blowdowns 3 Times A Day, 7 Days A Week For Nearly 10 Years Until Criminal Charges Brought Against CNX [PaEN] 

-- DEP Issues Violations For Failing To Report How Waste Was Disposed Of Safely From 133 Conventional Oil & Gas Wells, Including 50 Owned By CNX Gas Company  [PaEN]

-- DEP Assesses $200,000 In Penalties For Drilling Wastewater Spills By CNX In Greene County

-- DEP Assesses CNX Gas Drilling $433,500 For Violations In Greene County  [PaEN]

-- DEP: CNX Gas Company Agrees To Pay $175,000 Penalty For Uncontrolled Methane Leaks At The Shaw Well In Westmoreland County  [PaEN]

-- CNX Gas Pays $450K In Penalties For Washington County Water Withdrawal Violations  [PaEN]

-- DEP Settlement With CNX For E&S Violations In Greene, Washington Counties Yields $180,000 Streambank, Fish Habitat Project  [PaEN]

-- DEP Reaches Settlement With CNX On Well Plugging Violations At 141 Conventional Coalbed Methane & Gas Wells, 5 Unconventional Gas Wells In 4 Southwest Counties  [PaEN]

-- CNX Gas Company Reports It Did Not Stop Pumping Shale Gas Wastewater Through A Punctured Pipeline For 24+ Hours During An Incident In Morris Township, Greene County In May  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Violation To CNX Gas Company For Withdrawing Over 1.8 Million Gallons Of Water For Fracking For 22 Days Without Permission  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Violation To CNX Gas Company For Unauthorized Water Withdrawals For 17 Days From Beaver Run Reservoir In Westmoreland County  [PaEN]

-- DEP: CNX Gas Suffers Shale Gas Well Casing Failure While Zipper Fracking 3 Wells In West Finley Twp., Washington County; CNX Waited Over 10 Hours To Notify DEP [PaEN] 

-- Environmental Hearing Board Agrees There Is ‘Acute’ Danger In CNX Misusing A Deposition In An Appeal Before The Board To ‘Punish’ An Environmental Advocate For Her Advocacy Against CNX [PaEN]

-- Environmental Hearing Board Denies CNX Gas Company Motion To Throw Out Ullom Family Appeal Over Water Loss In Washington County; Scope Of Rebuttable Presumption Under Review [PaEN] 

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Capital & Main Resolves Legal Challenge From CNX Resources Over Its Reporting With Editor’s Note Explaining What It Did Not Say Or Write About In An Article [PaEN]

Report Violations

To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.

Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

Check These Resources

Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database and Inspection Reports Viewer webpages to search their compliance records by date and owner.

Sign up for DEP’s eNOTICE service which sends you information on oil and gas and other permits submitted to DEP for review in your community.

Use DEP’s Oil and Gas Mapping Tool to find if there are oil and gas wells near or on your property and to find wells using latitude and longitude on well inspection reports.

[Note: If you believe your company was listed in error, contact DEP’s Oil and Gas Program.]

[Note: These may not be all the NOVs issued to oil and gas companies during this time period.  Additional inspection reports may be added to DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database.]

Related Articles This Week:

-- PennLive - John Beauge: Attorney General Sunday Files Criminal Charges Against Eureka Resources For Oil & Gas Wastewater Leaks From Its Now Closed Standing Stone Facility In Wysox Twp., Bradford County 

-- House Committee Moves Bills To Prohibit Road Dumping Contaminated Groundwater Released By Conventional Oil & Gas Well Drilling; Setting Minimum Standards For Power Plant Community Benefit Agreements; Encouraging Native Insect Habitats  [PaEN] 

-- State Budget Brief: DEP Oil & Gas Program Enforcement & Permitting Staff Has Been Frozen For Last 10 Years, Meanwhile Drilled Shale Gas Wells Increased By Nearly 50%  [PaEN]

-- Independent Fiscal Office Estimates 2025 Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee To Yield $243.9 Million, $79.3 Million More Than In 2024  [PaEN] 

NewsClips:

-- The Street: New Fortress Energy LNG Gas Bankruptcy Splits Company Into 2 Different Entities -CoreCo And BrazilCo, Records Show It Never Generated A Cent Of Positive Cash Flow [Planned PA Facilities] 

-- Institute For Energy Economics & Financial Analysis: New Fortress Energy LNG Gas Company Bankruptcy Reveals Financial Misstatements, Systemic Mismanagement, Operational Failures [Planned PA Facilities] 

[Posted: June 9, 2026]  PA Environment Digest