WILLIAMSPORT – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced Wednesday that 17 projects to clean up waters in the state’s north-central region have been selected to collectively receive more than $3 million in funding through DEP’s Growing Greener program.
“Growing Greener awardees help keep Pennsylvania clean,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “It is imperative that communities in Pennsylvania receive the necessary funding to reduce pollutants in area waterways.”
State-wide, more than $34 million has been awarded to fund 149 projects to clean up waters. Grantees have up to three years to implement their projects from the award date.
Growing Greener is the largest single investment of state funds in Pennsylvania’s history to address Pennsylvania’s critical environmental concerns of the 21st century.
Growing Greener has helped to slash the backlog of farmland-preservation projects statewide, protect open space, eliminate the maintenance backlog in state parks, clean up abandoned mines and restore watersheds, provide funds for recreational trails and local parks, help communities address land use, and provide new and upgraded water and sewer systems.
DEP is authorized to allocate these funds in grants for watershed restoration and protection, abandoned mine reclamation and abandoned oil and gas well plugging projects.
Three other state agencies also received funds to distribute for appropriate projects: the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to administer farmland preservation projects, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for state park renovations and improvements, and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority for water and sewer system upgrades.
North-central Region’s and Statewide Growing Greener Awardees:
Bedford, Butler, Washington, Clearfield (1)
• Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Technical Assistance Benefiting Conservation Partnerships and Water Quality, $157,000
Bradford (3)
• Wysox Creek Watershed Association, Inc., Comprehensive Watershed Conservation, $100,000
• Bradford County Conservation District, Satterlee Creek Stream Corridor Rehabilitation 2, $171,000
• Bradford County Commissioners, Bradford County Watershed Initiative 2020, $325,000
Centre (1)
• Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Spring Creek Watershed Initiative – Stream and Riparian Restoration, $38,528
Clearfield (3)
• Clearfield County Conservation District, Morgan Run Flushing Unit Replacement, $21,417
• Clearfield County Conservation District, Agricultural Streambank Protection Project, $22,000
• Clearfield County Conservation District, Morgan Run State Game Lands 98 Acid Mine Drainage Collection and Monitoring, $151,142
Clearfield, Cambria, Huntingdon, Centre (1)
• Trout Unlimited Inc., Streambank Stabilization in the Chesapeake Bay – A Collaborative Initiative to Improve Stream Health and Reduce Nonpoint Source Pollution, $49,363
Columbia (1)
• Columbia County Conservation District, Columbia County Water Quality Improvement Projects, $60,732
Lycoming (2)
• Lycoming County Water and Sewer Authority, Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Chesapeake Bay Pollutant Reduction Plan Collaborative Stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) Pollution Reduction Project, $80,000
• Lycoming County Conservation District, Agricultural BMPs, $292,206
Montour (1)
• Montour County Conservation District, Montour County Agricultural BMPs and Pasture Management Project, $918,716
Montour, Bradford, Clinton, Columbia, Luzerne (1)
• Columbia County Conservation District, Multi-County Soil Health 2020-2023, $447,380
Northumberland (1)
• Northumberland County Conservation District, Northumberland County Grazing Project, $57,228
Snyder (1)
• Snyder County Conservation District, Snyder County Riparian Buffer Program, $120,000
Tioga (1)
• Tioga County Conservation District, Charleston Creek Stream Bank Stabilization, $85,315
State-wide (4)
• Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts Inc., PA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, $1,522,910
• Pennsylvania Lake Management Society, Implementation of Lake BMPs Project IV, $468,790
• Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation Development Council, Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds (C-SAW) X, $703,638
• Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Quick Response 9: Fiscal Management for Repair of Growing Greener Projects, $200,000