This site is designed to promote and foster watershed protection measures throughout Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

August 2010 Watershed Newsletter

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES	SPECIAL EVENTS
Cleaning Up The Conestoga - Representative Mike Sturla is inviting the community to help him and local organizations in his annual cleanup of the Conestoga River from 8:30 AM to Noon on Saturday, September 11th.  Volunteer will meet at Reigart's Landing, Lancaster County Park, Chesapeake and Strawberry Streets.  Volunteers are advised to bring their own work gloves and wear long pants. Cocalico Creek Watershed Association at the Denver Fair - Volunteers are needed to staff the CCWA booth at the Denver Fair, Tuesday, September 14th through the Saturday, September 18th.  The group needs volunteers from 6PM to 10PM every weekday evening & from 9AM-Noon on Saturday.  If you can volunteer some time please contact Ed Ostrowski.	Lancaster Green Drinks Event at the Lancaster Brewing Company on Tuesday, September 14th from 5-7 PM.  Green Drinks International is an organization that promotes getting together to talk environment over drinks once a month.  Members may include anybody who wants to talk green.  This creates opportunity - to meet new friends or professional contacts, generate ideas, perhaps find employment, or learn about something new & in the end, hopefully help the environment as well.  Join us each month & bring along some friends.  Contact them at www.greendrinks.org TreeVitalize Streams Riparian Forest Buffer Workshop - The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, DCNR, DEP, and the Lancaster County Conservation District are sponsoring a FREE workshop for community groups and municipal leaders who want to learn more about hot to plan, protect and pay for forested riparian buffers in their watershed.  This FREE workshop will take place on Wednesday, September 22nd from 9AM-Noon at the Farm & Home Center.  For more information or to register check out the Workshop Flier. National Drug Take-Back Program - On September 25th, DEA will coordinate a collaborative effort with state and local law enforcement agencies to remove potentially dangerous controlled substances from our nation's medicine cabinets.  Collection activities will take place from 10 AM through 2 PM at sites established throughout the country.  The National Take-Back Day provides an opportunity for the public to surrender expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical controlled substance and other medications for destruction.  To find a take-back location in your area, go to the DEA website and enter your zip code. Native Tree Planting Workshops - LIVE Green will be offering a series of FREE native planting workshops for Lancaster City Residents.  Saturday, September 25th & Saturday, October 9th from 9-11AM at Eastern Market, 308 E. King St., Lancaster.  Participants will learn how to plant and care for a variety of indigenous PA trees, while learning about their positive environmental impact with regards to stormwater management, climate change, & energy conservation issues.  For more information and to register view the  Native Planting Flier. Rain Barrel Workshops for City Residents - LIVE Green is sponsoring 2 rain barrel workshops for city residents this fall.  Thursday, September 30th & Thursday, October 21st from 6-8PM at Patio at Penn Stone, 190 W. Ross St., Lancaster.  Participants at the workshops will learn about rain water collection systems and other water conservation tools.  In addition, for their registration fee participants will receive a rain barrel at the workshop.  For more information and to register view the Rain Barrel Flier. SAVE THE DATE - The Chesapeake Bay & Lancaster County: Making the Connection - The Coalition for Smart Growth is conducting their 5th Annual Summit on Growth Issues facing Lancaster County.  This conference will take place Thursday, October 28th from 7:30AM-2:30PM at the Farm & Home Center.  Keynote Speaker will be State Senator and Chesapeake Bay Commission Member, Mike Brubaker.  For more information visit: www.coalitionforsmartgrowth.org. SAVE THE DATE - 8th Annual Lancaster/Lebanon County Watershed Forum - Saturday, October 30th from 9AM-Noon at the Acorn Farms Reception and Conference Center.  Downloadable Save the Date Card.  More information in the future on this popular event.
TIMELY FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Funding Available for Local Stream Cleanup Activities - The Watershed Alliance of York (WAY) has partnered with PP&L Corporation to provide financial and technical assistance to local municipal governments, nonprofit organizations, and citizen volunteers to clean up their watersheds.  Grants are available to eligible entities and individuals to help pay the costs of equipment rental, purchasing products and services, and advertising and promotion associated with watershed cleanups.  if you would like to sponsor a cleanup in your community, please contact Gary Peacock, WAY Secretary/Treasurer, at gpeacock@yorkccd.org or call (717) 840-7687. As part of the 2010 Department of Environmental Protection's Growing Greener Plus Program, applications are now being accepted for watershed protection and restoration grants.  The Department is authorized to allocate these grants to a variety of eligible applications including: counties, authorities, other municipalities; county conservation districts; watershed organizations recognized by the Department who promote local watershed conservation efforts involved in the restoration and protection of the environment in this Commonwealth. For the upcoming grant round, the Department will invest approximately $6 million in projects that will ultimately protect and/or restore this Commonwealth's watersheds from impairment due to nonpoint source pollution. Examples of special priority areas include: Chesapeake Bay and the Conestoga Watershed. Examples of eligible projects could include reducing nonpoint source pollution in watersheds where streams are impaired; integrating stormwater management into watershed management; and water conservation strategies, and projects that will help reduce Total Maximum Daily Load pollutants. The deadline for submitting applications to the Department's Growing Greener Grants Center is September 17, 2010.  To request or download an application or obtain more information concerning the Growing Greener Program, visit the Growing Greener web site at www.depweb.state.pa.us Keyword: Growing Greener. The Water Resource Education Network (WREN) has a limited amount of funds for "Opportunity Grants" - small grants (Maximum $300) for Source Water Protection activities in your community.  Projects must address protecting and improving community watersheds, and be completed by September 30, 2010.  Download the 1-page Opportunity Grant Application. The Pennsylvania Lake Management Society (PALMS), with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, is pleased to be able to offer assistance to landowners, nonprofits, and municipalities to address lake-related issues of critically eroded shorelines, excess nutrient loading, and aquatic invasive species that degrade the quality of lakes in the Commonwealth.  through this program, we are offering a limited number of grants on a competitive basis of up to $24,000 to correct identified lake problems.  To apply, go to www.palakes.org click on What's New then download and complete the attached Grant Request Form.  The deadline for application submission is October 1st. Outdoor clothing and gear company Patagonia supports small, grassroots nonprofit organizations that are working on multi-pronged campaigns to preserve and protect the environment.  Most grants are in the range of $3,000 to $8,000 each.  Applications for these grants are due April 30th or August 31st.  For more information on this grant opportunity visit the Patagonia Website.

For more information on the Lancaster County Conservation District's Watershed Program:

Matthew W. Kofroth, Watershed Specialist - matt.kofroth@pa.nacdnet.net or 717-299-5361 ext 124