Pittsburgh, Pa. – Nov. 2, 2023 – The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and BHE GT&S are now accepting proposals for the 2024 Watershed Mini Grant Program, which provides financial assistance to watershed groups and organizations across the region.
The watershed mini grants can be used to support projects in three areas: water quality monitoring, watershed restoration, and organizational promotion and outreach. Grants of up to $3,500 may be awarded for water quality monitoring and restoration projects. Grants of up to $2,500 may be awarded for promotion and community outreach projects. A cash or non-cash match is preferred, but not required.
For 2024, the program will offer funding to watershed groups and organizations in the following Pennsylvania counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bradford, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lawrence, McKean, Mifflin, Potter, Tioga, Washington and Westmoreland.
The mini grant program offers funding for volunteer-based organizations that support a variety of different projects–such as tree plantings, youth education and water quality monitoring–that are vital to sustaining and enhancing local watersheds. Financial support for this program is provided by the generosity of BHE GT&S, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy.
Earlier this year, grants totaling $39,484 were awarded to 15 environmental organizations in nine counties across Pennsylvania as part of the 2023 Watershed Mini Grant Program.
An online application, which includes more details and the grant and proposal guidelines, is available on the Conservancy’s website at WaterLandLife.org/watershed-mini-grant-program. For questions regarding the Watershed Mini Grant Program, or to request an application, please contact WPC’s watershed conservation office at 724-471-7202. Grant applications must be postmarked by December 18, 2023, and mailed to:
Kelly Horrell
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
1067 Philadelphia Street, Suite 101
Indiana, PA 15701
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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
Senior Director of Communications
412-586-2358, work
cbray@paconserve.org