The Coldwater Heritage Partnership recently announced over $40,000 in grants that have been awarded to local organizations to protect and conserve Pennsylvania’s coldwater streams.

The Coldwater Heritage Partnership is a cooperative initiative of the PA Council of Trout Unlimited, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Fish and Boat Commission, and the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds.

The Coldwater Heritage Partnership awards both planning and Implementation grants to conservation organizations across the state. Organizations funded by a planning grant 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.

Organizations that received an implementation grant will complete projects identified in previously completed coldwater conservation plans. Potential projects must enhance, conserve, or protect coldwater streams for which the original coldwater conservation plan recommended.

Grants have been given to the following organizations in two categories:

Planning Grants

-- Juniata College, Cambria and Blair Counties: $5,000 to biologically assess the headwaters of Bells Gap watershed to allow for long-term protection of newly found wild brook trout populations.

-- Northampton County Conservation District, Northampton County: $5,000 to develop a plan that documents baseline data for the Nancy Run watershed to serve as a foundation for protection through recommendations and will be tied to efforts to increase community awareness of the watershed.

-- Trout Unlimited, Eastern Abandoned Mine Program, Clearfield County: $5,000 to complete habitat assessments in the Potts Run watershed and to design projects for future implementation.

Implementation Grants

-- Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Clearfield, Jefferson and Indiana Counties: $6,730 to address streambank erosion and bank stabilization issues on the North Branch of Bear Run at the site of an abandoned railroad bridge.

-- Little Lehigh Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Lehigh County: $5,172 to plant appropriate shade tree species in selected areas along the Little Lehigh Creek where there are significant gaps in the streamside riparian buffer tree canopy.

 -- Chester Ridley Crum Watershed Association, Chester County: $7,000 to add enhancements to four properties along the West Branch of Crum Creek which will reduce stream temperature through increased streamside tree canopy, increased streamside no now areas and expansion of streamside.

-- Cumberland Valley Trout Unlimited, Cumberland County: $6,975 to construct approximately 150 linear feet of modified mudsill crib on a privately-owned though publicly- accessible section of Yellow Breeches Creek near Mount Holly Springs.

The next round of Coldwater Heritage Grants will open in September.

Besides offering grants, the Coldwater Heritage Partnership works to provide leadership, coordination and technical and educational assistance to organizations interested in protecting coldwater ecosystems.

For more information, contact Samantha Kutskel at 814-359-5233, or visit the Coldwater Heritage website.

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3/10/2014