Burns: $22.5 million available for community watershed and water quality projects
Urges schools, local governments and nonprofits to apply
Northwest Delegation April 26, 2021 | 4:45 PM
EBENSBURG, April 26 – State Rep. Frank Burns today is urging local schools, governments and nonprofits to apply for $22.5 million that the state has set aside for projects to improve water quality in their communities or watersheds or statewide.
“Years ago, I made securing state funding for local projects and programs a priority and, to date, have helped secure more than $250 million in state and federal funding for our communities,” Burns said. “That is why I’m always encouraging local entities to apply for this funding – because if they don’t, then someone else will, and I’d much rather see these dollars being invested in Cambria County than in Philadelphia.”
These grant programs currently are available to support projects to reduce water pollution that comes not from one specific discharge point, such as a pipe, but from more than one source. This includes:
- nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution from agricultural and urban activities, and
- iron, aluminum and acidity pollution from energy resource extraction and acid mine drainage.
Approximately $18 million is available in Growing Greener Plus grant funding. Approximately $4.5 million is available in Section 319 grants.
The Growing Greener program funds projects that are local watershed, or statewide in scale; for example, a single streambank fencing project on a farm or a large-scale floodplain restoration.
The Section 319 program funds projects specified in watershed implementation plans for 37 impaired watersheds around the state. They also support development of new watershed implementation plans for other impaired watersheds.
The application deadline for both programs is June 25, 2021. Guidelines and application instructions may be found at Growing Greener Plus and Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management Grants.