Pittsburgh, Pa. – May 17, 2022 – The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BHE GT&S) recently awarded 20 grants, totaling $41,000, to 20 different local environmental organizations in 13 counties across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of their 2022 Watershed Mini Grant Program.
For years, financial support for the Watershed Mini Grant Program was provided through the generosity of the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, which awarded a total of $433,475 to 130 organizations between 2005 to 2019.
The company that bought Dominion Energy’s interstate natural gas and storage business in 2021, BHE GT&S, is continuing the 17-year philanthropic legacy of supporting local watersheds through this grant program. The grant program aids the region’s watershed groups with awards that cover program expenses in three areas: water quality monitoring, watershed restoration, and organizational promotion and outreach.
This spring, grants were awarded to the following organizations:
- Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania
- Aultman Watershed Association for Restoring the Environment
- Big Sewickley Creek Watershed Association
- Blacklick Creek Watershed Association
- Chestnut Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited
- Clearfield County Senior Environment Corps
- Conemaugh Valley Conservancy
- Cook Forest Conservancy
- Creek Connections at Allegheny College
- Evergreen Conservancy
- French Creek Valley Conservancy
- Genesee Headwaters Watershed Association
- Independence Conservancy
- Loyalhanna Watershed Association
- Seneca Chapter of Trout Unlimited
- Susquehanna Greenway Partnership
- Tubmill Trout Club Unlimited
- Turtle Creek Watershed Association
- Upper Chartiers Creek Watershed Association
- Westmoreland Historical Society
Don Houser, director for external affairs for BHE GT&S’ northeast region, says he is pleased to continue the philanthropic efforts that help improve local rivers and streams.
“It’s an absolute privilege to support these organizations as they complete meaningful conservation work in our communities. BHE GT&S has been inspired by the commitment showcased by the mini-grant recipients and congratulate this year’s organizations for their outstanding work and commitment to water quality,” he adds.
Jenifer Christman, vice president of watershed conservation for WPC, says this funding source is vital to local communities. “The Conservancy thanks the BHE GT&S for continuing this commitment to assist small local watershed organizations in our region with projects to directly benefit and improve water quality in their communities,” she says. “Many of these projects, which are making a difference, just wouldn’t happen if not for this funding.”
The Conservancy and BHE GT&S will begin accepting applications for the 2023 Watershed Mini Grant Program this fall.
###
About BHE GT&S:
BHE GT&S is an interstate natural gas transmission and storage company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, that became a standalone subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy in November 2020. The company currently operates more than 5,500 miles of transmission lines in the eastern U.S and 756 billion cubic feet of total natural gas storage — with 420 bcf of working gas capacity — along with gathering, processing and field services businesses. It also provides a variety of LNG solutions through Pivotal LNG, its 25% operating stake in Cove Point LNG — the import, export and liquefaction facility in Lusby, Maryland — and other LNG processing and storage initiatives. For more information, visit Brkenergy.com.
About the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy:
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) enhances the region by protecting and restoring exceptional places. A private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped establish 11 state parks, conserved more than a quarter million acres of natural lands, protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, and assessed thousands of wildlife species and their habitats. The Conservancy owns and operates Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and symbolizes people living in harmony with nature. In addition, WPC enriches our region’s cities and towns through 130 community gardens and other green spaces and thousands of trees that are planted with the help of more than 7,000 volunteers. The work of the Conservancy is accomplished through the support of more than 10,000 members. For more information, visit WaterLandLife.org or Fallingwater.org.
Media Contact:
Carmen Bray
Director of Communications
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
412-586-2358 – work
cbray@paconserve.org