Watershed Conservation

Funding is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnership Program (C2P2) to plant riparian, or streamside, buffers along waterways such as streams, springs, small runs or headwater tributaries, throughout western and central Pennsylvania.  

Funding covers the costs of: 

• a variety of trees and shrubs native to Pennsylvania
• tree protection materials 
• labor to plant the trees 

The Conservancy plans to plant 75 acres of unforested riparian areas with approximately 15,000 trees through 2027. Some native tree species available include oaks, maples, hickory, sycamore, dogwoods and willows. 

 Riparian trees can improve water quality and wildlife habitat by: 

• stabilizing streambanks 
• reducing sedimentation 
• cooling water temperatures  
• filtering pollutants such as excess nitrogen and phosphorus.  

 Qualifications 

Landowners with open (or mostly open) land along waterways in more than 30 counties may apply. Those counties include, but are not limited to: 

Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Somerset, Tioga, Venango, Warren, Washington and Westmoreland.  

Landowners statewide may apply because other funding sources are available for those in locations outside the named 30 counties.

 Sites should have: 

• a stream, including intermittent tributaries, springs and runs, that has little to no woody vegetation within 35 feet of the streambank; 
• at least 250 feet of linear bank and a 50-foot setback from the stream edge (approximately ¼ of an acre of open riparian area); 
• a public or private landowner, including farmers, willing to allow native trees to be planted within a mapped project area and consent to a multiyear landowner agreement. 

Typical projects will not extend beyond 150 feet from the stream edge but may have a limitless length adjacent to the stream. (Some sites might vary from these parameters; circumstances will be reviewed on a project-by-project basis.) 

Site visits will begin by June 2025. Planting by WPC watershed staff (or contractors selected by WPC) will begin in the fall of 2025 and continue during the 2026 and 2027 spring and fall planting seasons. Project implementation will be on a first-come, first-planted basis. 

Applying for a Grant 

Applications are open year-round through June 2027. Apply here. 

Or email Monica Lee at mlee@paconserve.org with your contact information, listing “Riparian Trees” in the subject line.  

If you have questions regarding the Riparian Restoration Tree Planting Initiative or the application process, please email Alysha Trexler at atrexler@paconserve.org.