Jan 23, 2015 2 min read

For the Greene County Messenger

The Greene County Conservation District is now accepting applications for the first funding round of the 2015 Water Quality Mini-Grant Program.

As many as five awards of up to $5,000 each will be awarded this year to fund projects that address water quality improvements through implementation or installation of Best Management Practices.

The first round of applications is open from the third week of January until the second week of July, although applicants are encouraged to apply early enough to allow time for Conservation District staff to review applications and make site visits as needed.

Grant recipients will be determined at the Conservation District’s July 21 board meeting, and priority status will be given to applicants who have not previously received grant funding through this program.

To be eligible for funding under the grant program, projects must specifically address water quality improvement and include implementation or installation of authorized BMP.

Authorized BMP include all BMP approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Examples of water quality improvement include erosion prevention, mitigation of non-point source nutrient and sediment runoff and the general improvement of downstream water quality.

Examples of BMP include streambank stabilization projects, riparian buffer plantings, aquatic habitat enhancement structures and farming conservation practice installations, among many others.

All Greene County landowners are eligible to apply for the program, as well as homeowner associations, locally based environmental organizations, school-based or scouting organizations, sportsman associations or other civic associations. Applicants will be given one year to complete their projects and will be reimbursed only upon a final site visit and receipt of necessary documentation.

For more information about the Water Quality Mini-Grant Program, call the Conservation District at 724-852-5278, or visit www.co.greene.pa.us/gccd to download the complete guidelines and application form.