News

February 17, 2004                                           Contact: Shannon Eberly
For Immediate Release                            (717) 238-PACD (7223) x 18

Grants Awarded to Benefit Water Quality

Harrisburg, PA-The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) announces the 2003-2004 Mini-Project Program grant recipients. Awards were made recently to promote the theme, We All Live Downstream. Projects throughout the state were awarded up to $1,000 to promote water quality and pollution prevention.

The PACD administers two grant programs, the PA Chesapeake Bay Educational Mini-Project Program and the Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Mini-Project Program. With funding, organizations are able to implement educational programs to increase local awareness of water quality issues. The projects range from educational festivals and seminars to high school students monitoring the water quality of a stream. All of these projects encourage citizen participation in activities to improve water quality in local watersheds.

The mini-project programs are funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Chesapeake Bay Program and the Environmental Protection Agency's Section 319 program. A description of currently and previously funded mini-projects is available on the PACD website, http://www.pacd.org/products/03-04_mini-project_sums.htm.

2004 PA Chesapeake Bay Educational Mini-projects:

• Adams County Conservation District (Adams County): Watershed Education Project

• Bedford County Conservation District (Bedford County): Nutrient Management Workshop & Equipment Demonstration

• Bedford County Conservation District (Bedford County): Bedford County Watershed Forum

• Centre County Conservation District (Centre County): Beneficial Landscaping Techniques in Centre County Watersheds

• Dauphin County Conservation District (Dauphin County): Best Management Practices Discussion & Tour

• Franklin County Conservation District (Franklin County): Watershed Model

• Fulton County Conservation District (Fulton County): Third Annual Fulton County Water Resources Forum

• Huntingdon County Conservation District/HAMS (Huntingdon County): Watershed Education

• Juniata Clean Water Partnership/Blair County Conservation District (Juniata County): Fourth Annual Juniata Watershed Summit

• Lackawanna County Conservation District (Lackawanna County): South Branch of the Tunkhannock Creek Watershed Education and Outreach Project

• Lancaster County Conservation District (Lancaster County): Lancaster County Conservation Exposition

• Lititz Run Watershed Alliance (Lancaster County): Watershed Day 2004

• Lebanon County Conservation District (Lebanon County): Wetland Restoration/Enhancement

• Lebanon School District (Lebanon County): Urban Wetland Educational Outreach

• Northumberland County Conservation District (Northumberland County): 2004 Northumberland County Annual Winter Conference

• Northumberland County Conservation District (Northumberland County): Conservation District Table Top Display

• PA Cleanways of Mifflin County (Mifflin County): Lessons in Environmental Education

• Ridge Valley Streamkeepers (Bedford County): The Sideling Hill and Town Creek Watershed Outreach Project: Promoting Our Watersheds

• Wyoming County Conservation District (Wyoming County): Lower Tunkhannock Creek Watershed Education and Awareness

• Mehoopany Creek Watershed Association, Inc. (Wyoming County): North Branch Mehoopany Creek Restoration Project

• Juniata Clean Water Partnership/Blair County Conservation District (Multiple Counties Bedford, Blair, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry): Education and Outreach Tools for the Juniata Watershed Resource Center

• Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management Program (Multiple Counties): Reducing the Misuse of Pesticides and Nonpoint Source Pollution via Innovative Public Education

2004 Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-projects:

• Armstrong County Conservation District (Armstrong County): Grazing Performance: It's in the Genes

• Berks County Conservation District (Berks County): Mobile Agriculture Laboratory

• Blair County Conservation District (Blair County): Erosion & Sediment Control Awareness Display

• Bucks County Conservation District (Bucks County): Erosion and Sedimentation Educational Brochure

• Carbon County Conservation District (Carbon County): Small Project Erosion Control Booklet

• Chester County Conservation District (Chester County): Stormwater & Flood Management Forum

• French Creek Outdoor Learning Center (Crawford County): French Creek Outdoor Learning Center

• Big Spring Watershed Association (Cumberland County): Big Spring Discovery Day

• Dauphin County Conservation District (Dauphin County): Municipal Publications

• Dauphin County Conservation District (Dauphin County): Nonpoint Source Pollution Fact Sheets

• Erie Streams Association of Volunteer Monitors (Erie County): McKean Community Elk Creek Watershed Awareness Project

• Fulton County Conservation District (Fulton County): Fulton County Enviroscape-Nonpoint Source Pollution Education Project

• Sustaining Greene County (Greene County): Tally Hollow Outreach Project

• PA Cleanways of Indiana County (Indiana County): Fugitive Tire Program - Spring 2004

• Cocalico Creek Watershed Association (Lancaster County): Local Introduction and Recruitment for the New Cocalico Creek Watershed Assn.

• Luzerne Conservation District (Luzerne County): Luzerne County Environmental Resources Management Field Tour

• Partners for Community Preservation (Montgomery County): Upper Perkiomen Watershed Poster/Brochure

• Perry Conservation District (Perry County): Watershed Awareness and Improvement Education Model

• Lackawaxen River Conservancy/Pike Conservation District (Pike County): The Lackawaxen Watershed Municipal Awareness Project

• Pike County Conservation District (Pike County): Small Project Erosion Control Guide and E&S Educational Brochure

• Warren County Conservation District (Warren County): Educational Brochure-Hatch Run Conservation Demonstration Area - A Working Demonstration of Conservation and Water Quality Projects

• Penn-Trafford High School (Westmoreland County): Water Quality Study of Bushy Run

• Westmoreland Conservation District (Westmoreland County): Conservation Tour 2004

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