DUBOIS – The Headwaters Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council has announced it’s received a grant from the Dominion Energy Company to the Headwaters Conservation Partnership (HCP) program.
“When a company makes a donation to this program, it designates in which county or counties it wishes to put its funding to work,” said Headwaters RC&D Executive Director Dale Fox.
“The Headwaters region is comprised of Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, McKean and Potter counties in the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds. This is an innovative new program that is going to enable many important conservation projects in the region at a time when state and federal funds are limited.”
Dominion’s $5,000 HCP donation is specifically earmarked for a watershed improvement project on the East Branch of the Genesee River, which flows through northern Pennsylvania and then New York into Lake Ontario. It will impact a total population of more than 1.2 million residents residing in a seven-county region in Pennsylvania and New York.
The project is located on a sweeping bend of the river in Potter County, where approximately 100-plus tons of sediment is lost annually, causing the channel to become choked with severe erosion and sedimentation.
“We worked with Dominion for months searching for a project they would like to be involved with, and we found the perfect one. Managed by the Potter County Conservation District, this effort requires approximately $32,000 and the partners were lacking the final $5,000 necessary to bring this to fruition. This donation will enable work to start in the near future,” said Fox.
The funding for the project comes from the Dominion Foundation, which is dedicated to the economic, physical and social health of the communities served by Dominion companies.
Dominion is one of the nation’s largest producers and transporters of energy with a portfolio of approximately 28,200 megawatts of generation, 11,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline, and 6,300 miles of electric transmission lines. A leading provider of electricity, natural gas and related services, Dominion serves customers in 15 states.
Known for its practice of environmental stewardship, Dominion contributes more than 20 million dollars annually to the environment, arts and culture, and health and human services, as well as a company record of 160,000 hours of employee volunteer service. Dominion’s 2011 awards include a Spirit of America Summit Award (United Way), World’s Most Admired Companies (Forbes Magazine), 100 Best Corporate Citizens, (Corporate Responsibility Magazine), 500 Greenest Companies in the U.S (Newsweek), and an Energy Star Award for leadership and commitment to protecting public health and the environment (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
More information about Dominion can be found on www.dom.com.
