Available Grants and Awards
PennVEST Infrastructure Loans/Grants
The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority published revised cutoff dates for submitting applications for water, wastewater, stormwater and other project funding:
http://www.pennvest.state.pa.us/pennvest/cwp/browse.asp?A=4
Conservation Security Program Sign-up
A sign-up for the Conservation Security Program (CSP) will be available from April 18 to May 16. CSP is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to promote the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes on Tribal and private working lands. Working lands include cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved pasture, and range land, as well as forested land that is an incidental part of an agriculture operation. The program is available in all 50 States, and provides equitable access to benefits to all producers, regardless of size of operation, crops produced, or geographic location. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/csp/index.html
The Pennsylvania DEP has announced that Growing Greener Watershed Applications for the 2008 round of funding are now available. The application deadline is May 16. For the upcoming grant round, DEP will invest in projects that will ultimately protect and/or restore Pennsylvania's watersheds from impairment due to nonpoint source pollution. Examples of eligible projects could include reducing nonpoint source pollution in watersheds where streams are impaired; integrating stormwater management and flood protection into watershed management; encouraging the beneficial use of abandoned mine pool water; and water conservation strategies and projects that will help reduce Total Maximum Daily Load pollutants. http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/growinggreener/site/default.asp
F. X. Browne, Inc. has an excellent track record of obtaining Growing Greener grant funds for our clients. Our past projects have included streambank stabilization, watershed assessments, stormwater planning, stormwater demonstration projects, watershed modeling, and best management practices design. For more information, please contact us at info@fxbrowne.com.
PA Invasive Species Volunteer Monitoring Training
Pennsylvania Sea Grant, Mansfield University and the Army Corps of Engineers are offering a special training session for volunteers interested in joining the Pennsylvania Zebra and Quagga Mussel Monitoring Network. The meeting will be held on May 17 at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, Mansfield, PA. Volunteers will be asked to visit a high risk location, such as a public boat launch or downstream from a known source of mussels, and report the presence or absence of mussels each month of the warm season (until about October). No prior experience is needed. All materials including a DVD training video and monitoring manual will be provided. http://seagrant.psu.edu/zm/
Southcentral PA Riparian and Ag BMP Initiative
The Capital Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Area Council, Inc. announces the availability of funding for farmers in Southcentral Pennsylvania to install various beneficial agricultural practices. The program, called the Regional Riparian and Ag BMP Initiative, provides cost share dollars for the installation of items such as fencing, watering systems and walkways on livestock farms. Priority will be given to those that incorporate rotational grazing systems in their operations. The program is available within the 17-county Chesapeake Bay drainage area served by the DEP Southcentral Region. http://www.capitalrcd.org/noframes/documents/RRI%20Press%202-08.pdf
Kodak American Greenways Awards Program
The Kodak American Greenways Awards Program, a partnership project of the Eastman Kodak Company and the Conservation Fund, provides small grants to stimulate the planning and design of greenways in communities throughout America. In general, grants can be used for all appropriate expenses needed to complete a greenway project including planning, technical assistance, legal, and other costs. Awards are primarily provided to local, regional, and statewide nonprofit organizations. Applications are accepted until June 15. http://www.conservationfund.org/node/245
Wissahickon Water Quality Improvement Grants
Applications are now being accepted to fund projects to improve water quality and habitat along the Wissahickon Creek as a result of a $1.2 million penalty settlement with Merck & Company. The deadline for applications is June 15. Merck is accepting applications for any projects dealing with stream restoration, sediment reduction, habitat restoration or wetlands restoration. Only projects that can be completed by December 31, 2011 will be accepted. http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=9213&SubjectID=
Northeastern Pennsylvania's Environmental Partnership Awards
The Northeast Environmental Partners seek nominations for the 18th Annual Environmental Partnership Awards and the 14th Annual Thomas P. Shelburne Environmental Leadership Award. Nominations are due on June 15. The Environmental Partnership Awards are presented annually to recognize the achievements of individuals or organizations that, through partnerships, have achieved excellence in environmental protection or conservation in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Thomas P. Shelburne Environmental Leadership Award was established to recognize an individual who stands out for his or her long-term commitment to environmental quality through inspirational leadership, dedication and commitment to partnering. The awards are open to any group, individual, company, program or organization whose work has had a positive impact on the environment in Northeastern Pennsylvania’s following counties; Bradford, Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna Wayne and Wyoming. http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/news/cwp/view.asp?Q=536357&A=3
Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Poetry, Essay and Photography Contest
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Aging Initiative, in partnership with Generations United and the Rachel Carson Council Inc., are inviting submissions for its Second Annual Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Intergenerational Poetry, Essay and Photography Contest. The deadline for entries is June 16. The contest's intergenerational approach reflects Carson's desire to have adults share with children a sense of wonder about nature and help them discover its joys. Entries must be intergenerational involving a team of persons related or unrelated and describe the intergenerational project and how this project brought the team in touch with the natural world. A panel of expert judges will select finalists. The winners in each category will then be determined by the public, who will have an opportunity to vote on-line in July and August for their favorite submission in each category: photography, essay, and poetry. http://www.epa.gov/aging/resources/thesenseofwonder/index.htm
PA Recycling Development and Implemental Grants
Municipal recycling programs that boost Pennsylvania’s economy and protect its environment are invited to apply for the latest round of recycling development and implementation grants. To be eligible for recycling development and implementation grants, applicants must submit a plan that includes actions and strategies for optimizing a program’s self-sufficiency. The plan should include strategies for reducing costs and generating revenues, provisions for establishing waste reduction and recycling incentives, mechanisms for public outreach and stakeholder input, and methods to document progress. Grants of up to $500,000 are available, and applications must be postmarked by June 20. http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/recycle/document/grants.htm
2008 Central Catskill Smart Growth Program
The NYS DEC is soliciting applications from towns, villages and not-for-profit organizations, located along the Route 28 corridor of the Central Catskill Park/Mountains, for Central Catskill Park/Mountains Smart Growth Grant projects. DEC seeks proposals for capital projects which protect the region's natural resources and accommodate economic growth by revitalizing existing village, hamlet and town centers. Projects must be located wholly within the program area, which consists of the towns of Andes, Middletown, Olive and Shandaken, and the villages of Fleischmanns and Margaretville. Applications must be postmarked by June 20. http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/37874.html
NY Hudson River Estuary Grant Program
New York State DEC's Hudson River Estuary Grants are being made available to municipalities and not-for-profit corporations for projects that help implement certain priorities included in the Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda, 2005-2009. This year's program will focus on grants that will help New York prepare for the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial celebration in 2009 with a program of accomplishments that further the Estuary Action Agenda goals of river restoration. The deadline for applications is June 27. The Estuary Program has scheduled workshops to further explain the program. http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5091.html
EPA Region 3 Environmental Achievement Awards
Region 3 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is now accepting applications for its 2008 Environmental Achievement Awards. Nominations are due June 30. EPA's mid-Atlantic regional office is encouraging people to nominate individuals and groups who are making significant contributions to help public health and the environment in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia or in the District of Columbia. Individuals and organizations are eligible for environmental achievement awards in three categories: business and industry; non-profit or volunteer organization; and state, local or other federal government agency. http://www.epa.gov/region03/eaa.html
PA Boating Facilities Grant Program
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is now encouraging county and municipal governments interested in the planning, acquisition, development, expansion, or rehabilitation of public boating facilities to apply for funding through the Boating Facility Grant Program. The deadline for applications is September 30. The program is designed to help local governments provide or improve recreational boat access facilities in their communities that are open to the public. Private businesses, non-profit or not-for-profit organizations, and service clubs are not eligible for direct funding, but are encouraged to partner with their local government for funding. Applicants can seek grants for site acquisition, project design and engineering, development, expansion and major rehabilitation of recreational boat access facilities. http://www.fish.state.pa.us/promo/grants/boat_fac/00boatfac.htm