Blairsville, Pa. – April 21 – The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) and the Dominion Foundation recently awarded $30,000 to 20 environmental organizations in 13 counties across the Commonwealth as part of their 2017 Watershed Mini Grant Program.

Awardees included the following organizations, which received their awards at a reception in Blairsville, Pa. on April 18:

• Allegheny Aquatic Alliance of Freedom, Pa. received $2,000 for its 6th annual cleanup of Connoquenessing Creek, a tributary of the Beaver River. Funds will be used to help with the cost of garbage disposal and outreach items for the event.
• Aultman Watershed Association of McIntyre, Pa. received $2,000 to continue a restoration project on Neal Run. Funds will be used to purchase high-calcium limestone for an auto-flushing, vertical flow pond, which will generate alkalinity and remove metals.
• Bennett Branch Watershed Association of Benezette, Pa. received $415 to print updated brochures that highlight their restoration success.
• Bucktail Watershed Association of Emporium, Pa. received $1,200 for its efforts to control the spread of invasive plants, such as Japanese knotweed, along the stream banks of the Sinnemahoning Creek watershed. The organization will also use funds to send out newsletters to their members.
• Conemaugh Valley Conservancy of Johnstown, Pa. received $900 to distribute their Annual Report, as well as their Stream Team Adopt-A-Site and West Penn Trail brochures.
• Creek Connections at Allegheny College of Meadville, Pa. received $1,500 for pH test kits to continue measuring water quality in local watersheds.
• Crooked Creek Watershed Association of Ford City, Pa. received $475 for printing and distributing their newsletters.
• Emigh Run/Lakeside Watershed Association of Osceola Mills, Pa. received $1,940 to continue water quality monitoring on Emigh Run and Hubler Run. Funds will pay for sample analysis costs.
• Evergreen Conservancy of Indiana, Pa. received $2,600 for water quality monitoring, environmental outreach and a restoration project. Funds will be used to maintain data loggers and associated equipment, produce newsletters and remediate a stream bank on Laurel Run in Yellow Creek State Park.
• Forbes Trail Chapter of Trout Unlimited of Laughlintown, Pa. received $950 to continue outreach efforts for the Laurel Highlands Trout Trail.
• First Fork Watershed Association of Coudersport, Pa. received $800 for outreach materials.
• French Creek Valley Conservancy of Meadville, Pa. received $1,400 for educational and promotional display items.
• Kiskiminetas Watershed Association (KWA) of Greensburg, Pa. received $2,650 for restoration work on their West Leechburg property. KWA will remove invasive species and old concrete, replant the area and install informative signage.
• Nine Mile Run Watershed Association of Pittsburgh, Pa. received $2,400 for a fish passage and stream bank stabilization project. Funds will be used to purchase the rock and plant materials needed to undergo the stream restoration.
• North Fork Watershed Association of Brookville, Pa. received $1,150 to produce an educational brochure and install educational signage about the watershed throughout the county.
• Seneca Chapter of Trout Unlimited of Port Allegany, Pa. received $1,400 for data loggers and associated hardware to better monitor water quality.
• Sewickley Creek Watershed Association of Youngwood, Pa. received $2,400 to purchase water quality monitoring equipment that will be used as part of an education partnership with local students at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg and California University.
• Tubmill Trout Club Unlimited of New Florence, Pa. received $1,500 to purchase hemlock logs for a restoration project.
• Turtle Creek Watershed Association of Murrysville, Pa. received $1,500 to install educational signage at two watershed access points on the Westmoreland Heritage Trail.
• Upper Allegheny Watershed Association of Roulette, Pa. received $1,000 for the production of education and outreach materials.

The grant program provides assistance to the region’s watershed groups. This year’s awards cover program expenses in three areas: water quality monitoring, watershed restoration, and organizational promotion and outreach. Since 2005, WPC and the Dominion Foundation have collaborated to help enhance water quality and watershed initiatives through this grant program, which has awarded $343,475 to more than 115 organizations.

“The Mini Grant Program offers invaluable funding for smaller volunteer-based organizations and helps them to administer and complete a variety of different projects – like tree plantings and water monitoring – that are important to sustaining and enhancing local watersheds,” said Don Houser, Dominion’s state policy advisor.

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Photo Caption:

Brenda Costa of the French Creek Valley Conservancy accepted the 2017 grant award from Dominion employees, Environmental Supervisor Jen McCloskey and State Policy Advisor Don Houser, during April’s award ceremony in Blairsville, Pa.

Additional photos available upon request.

About Dominion:

Dominion is one of the nation’s largest producers and transporters of energy. The Dominion Foundation is dedicated to improving the physical, social and economic well-being of the communities served by Dominion companies, including Dominion Transmission. The Foundation supports nonprofit causes that meet basic human needs, protect the environment, support education and promote community vitality. For more information about Dominion, visit www.dom.com.

About the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy:

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) protects and restores exceptional places. A private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped to establish ten state parks, conserved more than 254,000 acres of natural lands and protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams. The Conservancy owns and operates Fallingwater, which 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 that are planted with the help of about 12,000 volunteers. The work of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is accomplished through the support of more than 10,000 members. For more information, visit WaterLandLife.org.

Media contact:

Kristen Blevins
Communications Specialist
412-586-2328
kblevins@paconserve.org