Pennsylvania
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
Evaluating Headwater Biodiversity and Resilience to Inform Conservation in the Delaware Basin (NY, PA)
Study the diversity and functioning of headwater streams, their potential resilience, and the species in their watersheds that are vulnerable to human activities and climate change. Project will provide data and approaches to partners that can be applied to maintain protection of important headwaters and to give an understanding of where climate change may pose a higher threat to certain areas within the watershed.
$327,500
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Developing an Integrated Community-based Monitoring Approach to Track Restoration (DC, MD, PA, VA)
Leverage relationships with local, county, state and federal agencies, community partners and restoration experts to ensure that the monitoring plan developed meets diverse needs. Project will complete research on existing restoration monitoring protocols and engagement of diverse stakeholders, conduct development of a comprehensive community-based restoration study design, and develop protocol testing and data generation at two to four restoration sites at varying stages of installation.
$230,279
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Healthy Streams Farm Stewardship: Chesapeake Logperch Initiative (MD, PA)
Develop and pilot a conservation incentive program that accelerates the adoption and establishment of riparian forest buffers by agricultural producers in the Susquehanna Basin of York County, Pennsylvania and Cecil and Harford counties in Maryland. Project will multiply the amount of implementation of agricultural best management practices, restore 160 acres of riparian forest habitat, and improve the in-stream habitat and passage specifically for the threatened Chesapeake logperch.
$487,837
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Lancaster City Retrofit and Rain Garden Implementation (PA)
Support the City of Lancaster in implementing two green infrastructure projects within the southwest quadrant of Lancaster City. Project will partner with the Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professionals and Interfaith Partners of the Chesapeake to retrofit an existing rain garden in Brandon Park and a rain garden will be installed on the property of a neighborhood church to reduce the amount of stormwater that enters Lancaster City’s combined sewer overflow system.
$200,000
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Little Beaver Creek Stream and Riparian Buffer Restoration (PA)
Conduct initial feasibility analysis and planning efforts on the highly eroded streambanks of 1,275-foot segment of Little Beaver Creek, which runs through farm property owned in Strasburg Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Project will result in a report which will outline project scope, permitting requirements, and estimated project costs which will address streambank erosion.
$49,998
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Paradise Township Plain Sect Clean Water Demonstration Farm (PA)
Support a landowner in Paradise Township in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania within the Pequea Creek Watershed with the installation of animal waste management facilities, loafing lot management and barnyard runoff controls.
$200,000
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Restoring the Octoraro Reservoir: Continued Plain Sect Conservation Action (PA)
Achieve pollutant reductions in subwatersheds contributing to drinking water supplies in the Octoraro Creek Watershed through outreach and agricultural best management practices installation on Plain Sect farms. Project will prioritize farms and agricultural best management practices based on their nitrogen reduction potential, with implementation efforts being led by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay alongside partners belonging to Octoraro Source Water Collaborative.
$500,000
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership: Continued Momentum for Market-Driven Conservation Action (PA)
Work collectively with Turkey Hill Dairy, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association to support the farmers that supply milk to Turkey Hill Dairy by installing conservation practices. Project will accelerate implementation and build momentum for the Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership.
$500,000
American Bird Conservancy
Restoring Dynamic Forest Structure for Priority Birds in the Delaware River Watershed — IV (PA)
Develop and implement a comprehensive forest management strategy targeting long-term availability of diverse forest age classes and structural complexity benefiting the entire reproductive cycle of golden-winged warbler, cerulean warbler and wood thrush. Project will draft the comprehensive plans for two new Dynamic Forest Restoration Blocks and will continue to implement management activities and monitor avian response outlined in existing comprehensive plans.
$362,136
American Bird Conservancy
Restoring Dynamic Forest Structure to Improve Wildlife Habitat for Birds in the Pennsylvania Wilds
Improve forest management planning and habitat management within the Pennsylvania Wilds region where forest health is limited by a lack of age class diversity and structural complexity. Project will deploy both timber harvests and non-commercial methods to create or enhance 450 acres of young forest habitat, 500 acres of mature forest habitat and 400 acres of late successional habitat to support the entire reproductive cycle of golden-winged warbler, cerulean warbler and wood thrush.
$175,000
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania
Louisiana Waterthrush Community Conservation in Buffalo Creek (PA)
Restore a mile of riparian buffer, deliver a series of informal and formal educational programs, and host recycling and household hazardous waste collection events to support clean streams and healthy forests in Buffalo Creek. Project will educate 540 students and 1,290 adults, plant 520 trees, 220 shrubs, and 430 perennials, remove 5 acres of invasive species, prevent 289,800 pounds of waste from entering waterways and monitor 30 sites.
$31,857
Bedford County Conservation District
Bedford County Watershed Action Plan Development (PA)
Conduct subwatershed assessments of Spicer Brook, Cumberland Valley Run, Beaverdam Creek and their related tributaries in Lebanon County to determine excessive sources of nutrients and sediment and provide recommendations for restoration or improvements with the goal of identifying best management practices for implementation. Project will deliver Watershed Action Plans that will identify priority restoration sites and the associated concept master plans for those sites.
$47,000
Berks County Conservation District
Implementation of Best Management Practices and Riparian Restoration on Irish Creek Farm (PA)
Implement agricultural best management practices, including manure storage, stable animal heavy-use areas, livestock exclusion fencing, and pasture management conservation practices to reduce non-point source pollution runoff into the Irish Creek. Project will conserve and 4.8 acres of non-tidal wetlands by controlling invasive species and protect 10 acres of critical floodplain habitat.
$132,500
Berks Nature
Implementing Agricultural Best Management Practices in the Middle Schuylkill Cluster (PA)
Install whole-farm agricultural best management practices on farms located in priority focus areas within the Middle Schuylkill Cluster geography of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative. Project will play a role in a larger watershed approach addressing a critical mass of agriculture restoration initiatives by managing 614 acres with best management practices, resulting in an estimated 24,210 pounds of nitrogen reduced annually.
$250,000
Borough of Akron
Akron Borough Community Rain Garden and Stream Restoration (PA)
Implement a rain garden for runoff control from the Akron Borough office building and restore approximately 500 feet of eroded stream through Roland Park. Project will reduce stormwater runoff and maximize infiltration and will continue community education events to encourage its residents, businesses, and churches to do similar Best Management Practices to reduce stormwater runoff and maximize infiltration.
$120,000
Bradford County Conservation District
Bradford County Accelerated Watershed Implementation Plan Development (PA)
Accelerate planning of Bradford County’s Watershed Implementation Plan. Project will address resource gaps in project implementation utilizing Bradford County’s database of planning needs resulting from landowner and/or municipal assistance requests.
$49,986
Brandywine Conservancy
Water Quality Interventions in the Brandywine-Christina Watershed (PA)
Restore water quality in the Delaware River Watershed by implementing water-quality improvement projects that include innovative nutrient reduction practices, and watershed-scale water quality interventions. Project will build on prior success to implement traditional and innovative best management practices known to improve water quality resulting in improved management.
$100,000
Brandywine Red Clay Alliance
Dam Removal on Brandywine Creek (PA)
Restore a 3,300 foot section of the Brandywine Creek to free-flowing condition by removal of the 280 foot Lenape Dam. Project will enhance fish habitat, restore fish populations and migration, and improve water hydrology and safe public access to the stream for boaters and anglers.
$57,182
Bucks County Conservation District
Water Quality Best Management Practices at Lake Luxembourg (PA)
Convert the 17-acre Conservation Pool of Lake Luxembourg in Bucks County, Pennsylvania to regional stormwater best management practices. Project will enhance water quality and habitat value through reduced phosphorous and sediment loading, the establishment of 7 acres of emergent wetland, and native wetland plantings and placement of large woody debris structures benefiting herptile and avian species.
$250,000
Capital Resource Conservation and Development Area Council
Support for a Successful Transition to Rotational Grazing (PA)
Support the transition of up to 1,000 acres of crop land and unmanaged pasture to a rotational grazing system, including cost-share for grazing infrastructure and technical assistance to ensure the successful implementation of the funded grazing projects. Project will complement work being conducted in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to promote rotational grazing and soil health, including the Mountains to Bay Grazing Alliance and the Pennsylvania Soil Health Coalition.
$406,224
Chesapeake Bay Commission
Lessons Learned from Decades of Experiences of the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership (multiple states)
Draft and publish peer-reviewed literature summarizing the core set of lessons learned through the work of the Chesapeake Bay restoration partnership which are applicable to other watershed-based/partnership-based restoration efforts. Project will share the key lessons learned during the multi-decade, partnership-based, Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts, and will result in a multi-media series of “lessons learned” products.
$25,316
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Accelerating Riparian Forest Buffer Implementation in Priority Pennsylvania Counties
Build relationships between private and public partners of conservation districts in Pennsylvania’s Final Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan to accelerate implementation, maintenance resources, and innovative financial incentives of riparian forested buffers in Pennsylvania. Project will provide technical assistance to local contractors and implement 360 acres of buffers, resulting in an annual load reduction of 42,071 pounds nitrogen, 635 pounds phosphorus, and 1,656,578 pounds of sediment.
$975,926
Chesapeake Bay Trust
Chesapeake Bay Trust Regional Capacity Building Initiative (DC, MD, PA, VA, WV)
Build collaborative and organizational capacity of regional entities and organizations within the Chesapeake Bay watershed working together to accelerate watershed restoration through tailored assessment. Project will heighten capacity of groups to advance clean water plans, increase communication, coordination and collaboration among partners within and across priority regions within the watershed, and increase power of the grassroots movement for sustained environmental and clean water protections.
$1,500,000
Chesapeake Conservancy
Precision Conservation Partnership Implementing a Regional Restoration Plan in Central Pennsylvania
Implement a regional restoration plan in central Pennsylvania, build upon a Precision Conservation Partnership, and increase and strengthen local capacity and partnerships. Project will result in full-farm restoration on 25 farms, enhanced coordination of outreach and technical assistance, improved messaging to accelerate landowner recruitment, and knowledge transfer in the region, and prioritize restoration projects to improve 46 miles of impaired streams.
$1,000,000
Chesapeake Stormwater Network
Chesapeake Bay Stormwater Training and Engagement in Urban Watersheds (multiple states)
Focus stormwater training and engagement efforts on four critical and vulnerable target populations in the Bay watershed to accelerate the pace of local nutrient reduction and promote more widespread implementation of effective stormwater and restoration practices across the watershed.
$325,000
Chester County Conservation District
Agricultural Best Management Practice Operation and Maintenance Initiative (PA)
Provide education, technical assistance, and financial assistance for agricultural best management practices within the Brandywine-Christina and Schuylkill Highlands of the Delaware River. Project will implement at least 42 best management practices, including grassed waterways and roof runoff on an estimated 12 farms.
$324,450
Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County
Cocalico Creek Floodplain Restoration (PA)
Establish native vegetation and stabilize streambanks in preparation for next phases of floodplain restoration within the Little Cocalico Creek and Cocalico Creek watershed. Project will improve water quality through reduction of polluted runoff and increase of wetland habitat.
$200,000
CRC Watersheds
Watershed Restoration and Habitat Improvement (PA)
Improve habitat for fish and wildlife and increase opportunities for recreation and education in up to 10 locations within the Chester, Ridley, and Crum Creek watersheds. Project will leverage partnerships with local educational institutions, municipalities, corporations, and civic organizations to restore riparian buffer areas and remove invasive plant material at sites that are crucial to the local watersheds and the greater Delaware River watershed.
$82,100
Cumberland County
Cumberland County Conservation District Cover Crop Incentive (PA)
Continue and expand a successfully implemented cover crop incentive program in Cumberland County which incentivizes low or no-till cover crops through offering payments to farmers to utilize approved winter small grain crops. Project will encourage implementation of additional cover crop acres on county farms, which are a priority agricultural water quality practice with respect to the Pennsylvania Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan.
$54,600
Delaware River Basin Commission
Improving Water Resources Management in the Delaware River Basin via Data Access (DE, NJ, NY, PA)
Support the Delaware River Basin Commission’s comprehensive Water Resources Program to improve water quality management, monitoring and ultimately improve aquatic habitat. Project will manage, protect, and improve water resources by developing a Basin-focused Water Quality Data Portal to facilitate data access for the public.
$200,000
Delaware River City Corporation
Building Bridesburg Riverfront Park (PA)
Build Bridesburg Riverfront Park, the last of eight planned parks on the Riverfront North greenway. Project will transform a former concrete factory in a neighborhood that has been cut off from its river by industry for a century into a 10 acre park and open space with native meadows, trees, and shrubs, reducing forest fragmentation reducing non-point source pollution.
$160,036
Delaware Riverkeeper Network
Restoring Big Creek Watershed and Reintroducing Native Brook Trout (PA)
Evaluate limestone sand additions to the strip-mined headwaters of Big Creek Pennsylvania. Project will re-introduce native brook trout to the currently fishless watershed, piloting long-term strategies to maintain water quality and ecological health.
$94,798
Delaware State University
Developing Risk Assessment Framework for Atlantic Sturgeon (DE, NJ, PA)
Provide estimates of adult spawning run size which will serve as a key parameter for a broader effort to develop a species-specific risk assessment model for Atlantic Sturgeon in the Delaware River. Project will serve to help quantify specific threats and their impacts ultimately facilitating effective decision-making as stakeholders work to recover this once iconic species.
$312,129
Delaware State University
Identifying Environmental Drivers of American Eel Emigration in the Delaware River (DE, NJ, NY, PA)
Model the outmigration of adult, silver-phase American eel in the Delaware River, utilizing a large-scale passive acoustic telemetry network annotated with environmental and astronomical parameters. Project will increase understanding of the underlying drivers and timing of movement in the Delaware River Basin, informing conservation and management of American eel in impounded systems where passage and increased mortality are key concerns.
$225,177
Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation
Wyoming Valley Chesapeake Bay Tributary Field Assessments and Monitoring (PA)
Conduct field assessments and monitoring of various streamside conditions and structural impediments to aquatic organism passage at culverts throughout the targeted supporting municipalities with a focus on Sugar Notch Run, Solomon, Warrior, Nanticoke, and Newport creeks, along the Susquehanna River in the Wyoming Valley, Luzerne County. Project will communicate and recommend to partners, projects for future improvements and best management practices.
$50,000
Ferguson Township
Park Hills Stream Restoration (PA)
Restore 2,350 linear feet of eroding, forested, urban stream using Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance techniques. Project will mitigate 178,632 pounds annually of total suspended solids, achieve 0.3 acres of floodplain connection and will restore 0.45 miles of forest buffer habitat.
$200,000
Friends of the Heinz Refuge at Tinicum
Developing a Marketing Plan for Delaware Valley Friends Organizations (DE, NJ, PA)
Develop a marketing plan to build membership for John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, and Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Project will raise awareness of the participating Friends organizations and enhance their efforts to acquire and maintain active members and volunteers.
$13,200
Friends of the Upper Delaware River
Improving Trout Habitat and River Access in the Upper Delaware River Watershed (NY, PA)
Implement five stream-restoration projects, including the replacement of three failing culverts, installation of habitat improvement structures, floodplain reconnection, and continued outreach to the community. Project will improve water quality, improve trout spawning habitat, expand fish passage, develop scientific support for future stream restoration projects.
$405,478
Hallam Borough
Streambank Restoration on a Tributary to Kreutz Creek (PA)
Restore 545 linear feet of stream bank along with 400 linear feet of eroded swale on an unnamed tributary to Kreutz Creek in Hallam Borough, York County. Project will stabilize stream banks and reduce sediment discharge to Kreutz Creek.
$200,000
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Research Institute
Restoring Large Forest Blocks in State Parks For Key Bird Species in the Laurel Highlands (PA)
Restore multiple forest age classes and habitat complexity for key bird species in large forest blocks in two state parks in south central Pennsylvania, which serve as anchors in a network of forested lands in the region. Project will write comprehensive forest management plans for more than 33,000 acres of forest and implement habitat management practices that benefit golden-winged warbler, cerulean warbler and wood thrush while also monitoring population responses.
$199,896
John Bartram Association
Youth Stewardship and Community Recreation Access on the Tidal Schuylkill River (PA)
Implement a year-round, youth-driven river engagement program at Bartram’s Garden, hiring up to 16 local youth interns annually to serve as riverfront ambassadors for river recreation programs that currently welcome roughly 8,000 neighbors annually. Project will encourage students to deepen their own skills and understanding in both watershed stewardship and river recreation while also sharing their learnings with members of the public through on-site recreation, and facilitated volunteer days.
$258,367
Lackawanna River Conservation Association
Leggett’s Creek Greenway Project (PA)
Address environmental issues caused by past anthracite coal mining activities and commercial and residential development within this subwatershed which has resulted in a compromised ecosystem lacking in biodiversity. Project will mitigate erosion and sediment loading through the installation of bank stabilization measures, and storm water runoff management, and monitoring and management program will be established to ensure sustained project efficiency.
$50,000
Lancaster Farmland Trust
Implementation of Agricultural Best Management Practices in Salisbury Township (PA)
Reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution flowing from Salisbury Township farms to the Chesapeake Bay, specifically in the Pequea Creek Watershed. Project will expand on an existing, innovative initiative in Salisbury Township to drive the agricultural community toward environmental compliance and sustainability and result in best management practices implemented on five farms in the Pequea Creek Watershed, and contribute to the completion of two whole-stream restoration efforts.
$494,347
Lancaster Farmland Trust
Stream Restoration on Cedar Creek (PA)
Implement the following priority practices: loafing lot management, forest and grass buffers with exclusion fencing, and stream restoration along five properties on Cedar Creek in East Earl Township. Project will reduce nutrient and sediment pollution near the headwaters of the Conestoga River Watershed, improving water quality for downstream neighbors.
$161,934
Londonderry Township
Conewago Creek Water Quality Improvements (PA)
Restore the floodplain of the Conewago Creek and its tributary, Brills Run, including 4,877 feet of stream restoration, 2,988 feet of stream creation, the restoration of approximately 15 acres of the floodplain to historical conditions, and the enhancement of a 15-acre wetland system. Project will remove approximately 125,000 cubic yards of legacy sediment, and a yearly sediment load reduction of 1,524 tons.
$200,000
Lower Allen Township
Detention Basin Retrofit in Residential Lower Allen Township (PA)
Retrofit an existing dry detention basin to a bioretention facility in the Moreland residential neighborhood of Lower Allen Township. Project will retrofit a total drainage area of 17.7 acres improving water quality and stormwater management while engaging and educating the local community about stormwater pollution.
$160,486
Lower Allen Township
Sheepford East Detention Basin Retrofit Project (PA)
Address nonpoint source pollution through local, watershed-based planning by retrofitting an existing dry detention basin in the Sheepford Crossings residential neighborhood in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Project will retrofit the existing basin, which handles a total drainage area of 55 acres, into a bioretention facility.
$131,625
Lower Merion Conservancy
Improving Wildlife Habitat and Water Quality along the Cynwyd Heritage Trail (PA)
Improve stormwater management, restore wildlife habitat, and improve recreational access on the Cynwyd Heritage Trail and along sections of Vine Creek, an important feature of the trail and a tributary to the Schuylkill River. Project will reduce erosion and flood damage to Vine Creek, convert open space into a habitat corridor, and increase public awareness of stormwater issues and habitat loss through creation of meadows, rain gardens, and bioswales.
$223,830
Manheim Borough
Memorial Park Stream Restoration (PA)
Implement riparian buffers and stream bank stabilization for a 3,000-linear-foot section of the Chiques Creek. Project will reduce sediment and associated nutrients and other pollutants entering the stream in addition to providing educational and passive recreational opportunities.
$200,000
Manheim Township
Stoner Park Streambank Restoration (PA)
Restore streambank along Landis Run within Stoner Park for approximately 1,336 linear feet of property owned by Manheim Township. Project will contribute to the sediment load reduction objectives of Manheim Township’s Pollutant Reduction Plan by eliminating a known source of sediment.
$200,000
Manheim Township
Streambank Restoration on a Tributary to Conestoga Creek (PA)
Restore approximately 1,065 linear feet of an unnamed tributary to the Conestoga River along Manheim Township property in Lancaster County, PA. Project will provide sediment load reductions to help meet Manheim Township’s Pollutant Reduction Plan by eliminating a causal source of sediment.
$93,780
Mid-Atlantic 4R Nutrient Stewardship Association
Accelerating Implementation of Farmer Adoption of Nutrient Stewardship Practices (DE, MD, PA, VA)
Bring together stakeholders involved in nutrient management and those who have environmental concerns about excess nutrients to work together to develop locally relevant solutions. Project will identify barriers to nutrient management adoption, design a communications strategy, engage 300 farms to implement nutrient management, increase implementation of split application of nitrogen and pilot a model for a Pennsylvania Manure Transport Exchange.
$990,000
Mount Joy Borough
Little Chiques Park Stream Bank Restoration and Green Infrastructure Master Plan (PA)
Design and permit an approximately 5,000-linear-foot stream segment of Little Chiques Creek, located within the bounds of Little Chiques Park situated in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania. Project will plan to improve drainage patterns within the park as they impact the stream corridor and cause uncontrolled flooding within the park, and will improve public access to the creek for fishing and other recreation purposes.
$50,000
Mount Joy Borough
Stormwater Management in Rotary Park (PA)
Establish a native vegetative bioswale to slow down the velocity of water through a native grass channel while providing heavy erosion control to prevent future washouts. Project will reduce the amount annual sediment, phosphorus, and nitrogen transported to Little Chiques Creek and erect educational kiosks throughout the park to promote education on pollutants, erosion control, and stormwater best management practices for borough residents and participants at the park.
$100,000
Mountville Borough
Mountville Borough Dry Extended Detention Basin and Constructed Wetland Project (PA)
Retrofit an existing dry detention basin in Spring Hill Park to a dry extended detention basin with a linear area of constructed wetlands to treat continual spring flow through the basin. Project will align with Pennsylvania’s state-level priority initiatives to strategically advance load reduction efforts through accelerated implementation of structural load-reduction practices, including bioretention, rain gardens, bioswales and stormwater wetlands.
$200,000
National Audubon Society
Implementing a Landscape-Scale Approach to Managing Private Forestlands for Birds and Resilience (PA)
Implement strategic, landscape-scale forest conservation to benefit forest birds on private lands in Pennsylvania through financial incentives provided by the American Forest Foundation’s Family Forest Carbon Program. Project will restore 900 acres of mature forest habitat for wood thrush, 225 acres of late successional forest habitat for cerulean warblers and enroll 20 landowners in habitat management on their lands that will also facilitate carbon sequestration.
$183,419
National Audubon Society
The River Unites Us: Bird Conservation Across the Delaware River Watershed (DE, NY, PA)
Address conservation needs reflecting the rich diversity of habitat and conditions across three states in the Delaware River Watershed. Project will increase the number of people engaged in direct conservation efforts, measurably improve bird habitat, and increase scientific data awareness and support for restoration efforts in Delaware.
$250,000
National Wildlife Federation
Delaware River Basin Urban Wildlife Community Engagement Program (DE, NJ, NY, PA)
Engage a broader demographic by identifying and addressing specific community barriers to conservation engagement. Project will develop tools for cultivating programs that provide high-quality recreational and conservation opportunities that benefit the communities and the environment, increasing public access to the Delaware river and its lands, and inspiring participants to engage in outdoor activities and protect and improve their local watershed.
$499,999
National Wildlife Federation
Developing Capacity Building Framework within the Chesapeake Bay Community (multiple states)
Address gaps in capacity within the Chesapeake Bay community through a partnership with the Choose Clean Water Coalition and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, with the objective to research, analyze and develop a capacity building framework. Project will target an audience of capacity builders and the NGO community with missions that include improving the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
$421,147
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
Designing Living Shorelines Alternatives in the Delaware Estuary (PA)
Address issues of coastal resilience and water quality to enhance the benefits in freshwater tidal zone. Project will design an innovative living shoreline approach incorporating freshwater mussels for a high-priority area of erosion on the banks of the Schuylkill River at the Fairmount Water Works in Philadelphia.
$125,000
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
Developing the Mussels for Clean Water Initiative to Enhance Habitat and Water Quality (DE, NJ, PA)
Overcome key research and planning bottlenecks that impede implementation of the new Mussels for Clean Water Initiative that aims to restore beds of freshwater mussels. Project will develop a Mussels for Clean Water Initiative Restoration Plan, Genetics Management Plan, and Disease Management Plan, as well as conduct laboratory research to enhance juvenile mussel survival and growth in a hatchery setting.
$178,028
Penn Township
Stream Restoration along Chiques Creek (PA)
Partner with a private landowner to restore an eroded stream channel that conveys stormwater to a tributary to Chiques Creek by stabilizing eroded stream banks, installing in-stream fish habitat structures, and planting a native riparian forest buffer. Project will achieve a portion of the township’s required pollutant reductions through stream restoration and native forest riparian buffers.
$200,000
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
Improving Public Access and Recreation in the Pennsylvania Portion of the Delaware River
Improve public access and recreation by providing grants to public entities and nonprofit groups for the planning, acquisition, development, expansion and rehabilitation of public boating facilities located in the Pennsylvania portion of the Delaware River Watershed. Project will ensure that boaters in the Delaware River watershed have safe, clean and updated boating facilities.
$200,000
Pennsylvania State University
Advancing Conservation-Based Estate Planning with Private Forest Landowners (PA)
Advance conservation-based estate planning through a targeted workshop series to increase awareness and implementation of evolving legal and financial tools to achieve conservation-based estate planning in Pennsylvania. Project will implement outreach to estate planning attorneys, financial planners and consulting foresters.
$79,987
Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust
Fulmor Heights Green Stormwater Infrastructure — I (PA)
Facilitate a phased plan to manage stormwater runoff, eroded creek-side slopes, and repurpose a degraded stream corridor into a biodiverse and sustainable landscape along Pennypack Creek. Project will connect the three largest landowners in the focus area through water quality improvement projects, reducing sediment load by nearly 2,400 pounds per year.
$183,199
Red Barn Consulting
Altria Rapid Planning Assistance Program (PA)
Provide conservation planning assistance to more than 100 agricultural producers in the Lower Susquehanna region to support long-term, on-farm conservation efforts and emerging supply chain sustainability initiatives. Project will provide on-demand conservation plan writing services through expert agricultural service providers in the region and link recommended on-farm conservation improvements with state and local priorities for water quality improvement and agricultural sustainability.
$250,000
Schuylkill River Development Corporation
Bartram’s Mile Fishing Pier Rehabilitation (PA)
Rehabilitate an abandoned industrial pier into a usable recreational pier and the surrounding riverbank on the tidal Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. Project will improve recreational opportunities and river access consistent with local conservation efforts, and restore shorelines resulting in enhancements to water quality and wildlife habitat.
$50,000
Springettsbury Township
Waste Water Treatment Plant in a West Tributary of Codorus Creek (PA)
Implement stream restoration to remove approximately 529,500 pounds of sediment per year, stabilize approximately 1.2 miles of actively eroding streambanks, and restore approximately 0.6 miles of streams and 1.2 miles of permanent riparian buffer on an unnamed tributary to the Codorus Creek. Project will provide design, permitting, construction, and operations, maintenance, and monitoring.
$200,000
Stroud Water Research Center
Accelerating Farm Stewardship Forested Buffers and Best Management Practices Implementation (PA)
Build on Farm Stewardship Program success and add new emphases on implementing agricultural best management practices while bringing along much-needed forested buffers. Project will accelerate the rate of best management practices implementation, incentivize the inclusion of forested buffers that earn vouchers to pay for planning and implementation, and focus efforts in existing or emerging clusters of conservation so that research can help document the recovery of stream health.
$499,920
Stroud Water Research Center
Agricultural Best Management Practices and Buffers in Chester County Focus Areas (PA)
Implement agricultural best management practices and forested buffers in the Brandywine-Christina Cluster of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative. Project will treat at least 1,516 acres with agricultural best management practices, including stormwater runoff controls for barnyards, mushroom compost processing areas, and grassed waterways on five to seven farms.
$249,606
TeamAg
Agriculture Runoff Water Quality Improvement in Salisbury Township (PA)
Implement prepared Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans for several small Plain Sect dairies in Salisbury Township identified with critical water concerns, including leaking manure storage facilities, runoff from barnyards and loafing areas, inadequate manure storage, improper treatment of milk house wastewater, and lack of cattle stream crossings and fencing to exclude cattle. Project will implement environmental improvements on farms to increase their economic and environmental performance.
$200,000
Temple University, Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education
Using Polyethylene Glycol to Control the Fungus that Causes White-Nose Syndrome in Bats (OH, PA)
Treat and monitor hibernation sites used by little brown bats and other species to test the effectiveness of polyethylene glycol 8000 to suppress the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome. Project will conduct field trials at three control and three treatment hibernacula in Ohio and Pennsylvania, evaluate the effects on non-target flora and fauna, and strive to reduce the fungal infection rate by 50 percent.
$178,724
Terre Hill Borough
Terre Hill Borough Rain Garden, Bioretention, and Bioswale (PA)
Construct a rain garden, bioretention facility, and a bioswale, which will remove over 7,000 pounds annually of sediment from the streams. Project will contribute to implementing projects that correspond with Terre Hill Borough’s Pollution Reduction Plan.
$73,000
Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District of New York
Strengthening the Conservation Community Foundation in the Upper Susquehanna Watershed (NY, PA)
Focus on providing training to new and existing staff to further provide a framework for the Upper Susquehanna Coalition to evaluate available programs for future sustainability. Project will implement 114 acres of riparian buffer, 400 acres of prescribed grazing, 3,800 acres of stream corridor restoration and 39 acres of wetland restoration that is estimated to generate nutrient reductions of 4,155 pounds of nitrogen, 689 pounds of phosphorus and 456,130 pounds of sediment annually.
$1,000,000
Trout Unlimited
Chesapeake Bay Watershed Priority Brook Trout Strongholds Conservation Analysis (MD, NY, PA, VA, WV)
Complete focal analyses for 11 brook trout stronghold patches within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Project will develop a strategic restoration approach focused on brook trout populations, and following the compilation of the available data for each patch and the completion of the conservation portfolio analysis, Trout Unlimited will provide a summary report for each priority patch that outlines potential projects, current data available, monitoring needs, and other information.
$41,574
Trout Unlimited
Strengthening Stronghold Brook Trout Patches through Stream Restoration and Habitat Improvement (PA)
Complete 10 high-priority habitat restoration projects and 20 new technical assistance projects located within eastern brook trout stronghold patches in three geographic focus areas in the Chesapeake Bay watershed of Pennsylvania. Project will select focal geographies considering existing partnerships, ownership, access, and presence of both stronghold and persistent eastern brook trout patches.
$274,298
Trout Unlimited
Testing a Methodology for Monitoring Eastern Brook Trout Restoration Response in the Cross Fork Watershed (PA)
Develop a methodology and conduct eastern brook trout population response monitoring in the Cross Fork Creek watershed, the largest drainage in the Kettle Creek watershed in Pennsylvania. Project will replace one culvert, opening 8.5 miles of previously inaccessible stream habitat and improve 1,500 feet of dirt and gravel road to reduce sedimentation and improve water quality, and then will monitor brook trout population response.
$139,987
West Hempfield Township
Streambank Stabilization and Stormwater Management on a Tributary to Chiques Creek (PA)
Partner with a plain-sect farmer to stabilize an eroded stream and drainage channel that conveys stormwater discharge from an upland developed area to Chiques Creek and install a bioretention basin to reduce stormwater volume and provide water quality benefits. Project will advance load reduction efforts through accelerated implementation of structural load-reduction practices.
$200,000
West Lampeter Township
Groff Farm Floodplain Restoration (PA)
Restore a 2,300-linear-foot section of an eroded streambank and create approximately 4.4 acres of riparian habitat on a large portion of streambank of Big Spring Run in the Mill Creek Watershed. Project will reduce pounds of sediment, pounds of nitrogen, and pounds of phosphorus through the construction of agricultural best management practices on Groff Farm.
$200,000
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
Assessing Eastern Brook Trout Patches to Determine Future Actions that Improve Connectivity (PA)
Assess population status and habitat condition within previously identified eastern brook population patches in the Mid-Upper Allegheny River and Pennsylvania Wilds focal geographies to determine the most appropriate restoration actions to improve aquatic connectivity. Project will assess at least five patches by completing 100 electrofishing surveys, reconnect at least two priority patches through culvert replacement and restore 1.5 miles of forested riparian buffer to reduce sedimentation.
$186,863
Wildlands Conservancy
Penrose Swamp Acquisition (PA)
Facilitate the acquisition of the 2,700-acre Penrose Swamp property Carbon and Luzerne counties. Project will result in permanent protection of a core Natural Heritage Area and an Important Bird Area, as well as wetlands, intact forest, Penrose Creek, and sections of Beaver and Hazle creeks.
$99,957
Wildlife Management Institute
Enhancing Forest Habitat in the Northern Delaware River Watershed — III (PA, NJ)
Implement forest management plan activities on public and private lands in the northern Delaware River Watershed. Project will aid in the creation of young forest habitat, the enhancement of middle-aged and mature forest habitat, the control of native and exotic invasives, as well as expand partnerships and build upon previous success to enhance work in northwest New Jersey.
$199,982
Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association
Green Stormwater Infrastructure at Overlook Elementary School (PA)
Install green stormwater infrastructure to better manage stormwater volume and filtration prior to discharge to the Sandy Run. Project will facilitate high-visibility improvements on school district properties to concurrently implement water quality improvements and allow for hands on environmental education at the schools.
$50,000
York County Planning Commission
Improving the Delivery of Outreach and Technical Assistance for Implementation in York County (PA)
Complete groundwork for a successful messaging campaign, a coalition with broader and more diverse representation, and reported implementation of water quality best management practices. Project will develop a Countywide Action Plan messaging strategy to effectively educate the community, expand the capacity of the York County Coalition for Clean Waters, a key partner in Countywide Action Plan implementation efforts, and embark on a long-term clean water messaging campaign.
$50,000