Coldwater Heritage Partnership Announces Grant Awards

The Coldwater Heritage Partnership today announced more than $37,500 worth of grants supporting the conservation of Pennsylvania ’s coldwater stream habitats has been awarded to local organizations. The Coldwater Heritage Partnership is a cooperative partnership between Pennsylvania Trout, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and the Western Pennsylvania Watershed Program.

“Pennsylvania Trout is excited to be part of awarding grants to eight worthy organizations for the conservation and protection of their local streams,” stated George Mellinger , president of Pennsylvania Trout. Funded organizations will be responsible for creating a Coldwater Conservation plan that:

· Gathers existing data about the coldwater ecosystem;

· Identifies potential impacts, threats, problems and opportunities to our coldwater streams;

· Formulates a plan of action for proposed conservation and protection strategies; and,

· Builds community awareness and support for the conservation of our coldwater streams.

"Local grassroots conservation efforts are responsible for the return of healthy waterways in Pennsylvania ," DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis said. "But the work is far from over, with many streams still facing threats and degradation. This partnership provides the much-needed funding to continue the long-term stewardship of our world-class coldwater streams."

$3,235 will be awarded to the Kettle Creek Watershed Association, in conjunction with the Kettle Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited to do an assessment and fish habitat plan for the Beaverdam Run in the Kettle watershed.

$5,000 to Lower Saucon Township , in Northampton County to build awareness and study trout populations, water quality and macroinvertebrate conditions within the headwaters of Saucon Creek.

$5,000 to the Southern Alleghenies Conservancy, in partnership with Mountain Laurel Chapter of Trout Unlimited to gather data about Potter Creek in Bedford County and create recommendations for improved water quality.

$5,000 to the Penn’s Corner Charitable Trust, in conjunctions with the Fayette County Conservation District, to identify potential threats to the fishery in Rasler Run and create projects that will protect the coldwater fishery.

$4,998 to Juniata Valley Audubon Society, in conjunction with the Blair County Conservation District to conduct an assessment on Piney Creek. Goals are to identify areas of concern and determine projects that will conserve and promote the preservation of the surrounding resources.

$5,000 to the Furnace Run and Seglock Run Watershed Alliance in Lancaster and Lebanon County to assess the overall conditions and develop a prioritized list of projects to protect the watershed.

$5,000 to the Bedford County Conservation District, in conjunctions with the Bobs Creek Stream Guardians to asses the land use, water chemistry, aquatic insects, and fish populations on two Bob ’s Creek Tributaries – Rhodes Fun and Ickes Run.

$4,300 to the Little Conemaugh Watershed Association to develop a plan to protect and enhance the quality and integrity of the fishery in the headwaters of the South Fork Branch of the Little Conemaugh River, Cambria County.

“We were happy to see so many well qualified candidates submit applications. Unfortunately, we only had the funding to grant about a third of the applications submitted,” Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director Peter A. Colangelo said. “Because this type of grassroots conservation work is vital for the future of the state’s coldwater streams, organizations will have the opportunity to submit applications again this fall.”

Besides offering grants, CHP works to: foster greater public understanding of coldwater ecosystems; identify special areas of concern, such as areas with exceptional water quality and high potential for impacts; and provide technical assistance and financial opportunities to organizations dedicated to protecting our coldwater ecosystems.

All four partnering organizations have contributed funds for the effort.

For additional information, contact PATU Coldwater Resource Specialist Deborah Nardone at (814) 359-5233 , or visit the PATU website at www.patrout.org.