Indiana, Pa. – Nov. 8, 2019– The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Dominion Energy are now accepting proposals for the 2019-2020 Dominion Energy Watershed Mini Grant Program, which provides financial assistance to watershed groups and organizations across the region.

From funding from a 2018 mini grant, students with Creek Connections at Allegheny College conducted monthly water quality monitoring assessments in local streams.

The watershed grants can be used to cover expenses in three areas: water quality monitoring, watershed restoration, and organizational promotion and outreach. Grants of up to $3,000 may be awarded for water quality monitoring and restoration projects. Grants of up to $2,000 may be awarded for promotion and outreach projects. A cash or non-cash match is preferred, but not required.

Financial support for this program has been provided by the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation. To date, the Conservancy has administered $403,475 in grant funds to more than 130 organizations since 2005.

“Dominion Energy is committed to environmental conservation through our business operations and by partnering with organizations like the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy,” said Don Houser, Dominion Energy’s State Policy Advisor. He continued, “We are proud to support these grassroots restoration efforts and are inspired by the work happening in our community.”

The program offers funding to watershed groups and organizations in the following counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Fayette, Franklin, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Tioga, Venango, Washington and Westmoreland.

Wendy Kedzierski, project director of Creek Connections at Allegheny College in Crawford County, says her organization used their mini grant to purchase two new water quality monitoring kits in 2018. Creek Connections helps teachers and students from 41 schools conduct monthly water quality monitoring assessments in local streams.

“This grant is important because we are a longtime successful environmental-education project with ongoing costs,” she says. “When teachers do water monitoring with their students, they quickly use materials in their test kits that need to be replaced. This grant funds those replacements, too.”

An online application, including proposal guidelines, is available at WaterLandLife.org/watershed-mini-grant-program. For questions regarding the Watershed Mini Grant Program, examples of more success stories from local watershed organizations in the region or to have an application mailed to your organization, please contact WPC’s watershed conservation office at 724-471-7202. Grant applications must be postmarked by December 20, 2019 and mailed to:

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
c/o Katie Zawrotniak
1067 Philadelphia Street, Suite 101
Indiana, PA 15701

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About the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation:
Nearly 7.5 million customers in 18 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D). Through its Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, as well as EnergyShare and other programs, Dominion Energy contributed nearly $35 million in 2018 to community causes. The Foundation supports nonprofit causes that meet basic human needs, protect the environment, promote education and encourage community vitality. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.DominionEnergy.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 to establish 11 state parks, conserved more than a quarter million acres of natural lands and protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams. The Conservancy owns and operates Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, now on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which symbolizes people living in harmony with nature. In addition, WPC enriches our region’s cities and towns through 132 community gardens and other green spaces that are planted with the help of more than 11,000 volunteers. The work of WPC is accomplished through the support of more than 9,000 members. For more information, visit WaterLandLife.org or Fallingwater.org.

Media Contact:
Carmen Bray
Director of Communications
412-586-2358
cbray@paconserve.org