Submitted Article / Maps Courtesy Bradford County Planning & Mapping
State Senator Gene Yaw (23rd District) announced last week that Bradford and Lycoming counties have been awarded funding to clean up local waters through the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Growing Greener program.
Bradford County will receive $596,000 to be directed to watershed and stream corridor rehabilitation. The projects include $100,000 for the Wysox Creek Watershed Association, Inc.’s Comprehensive Watershed Conservation project in and around Rome Township and Rome Borough. This project will stabilize headwater tributaries; reduce stormwater runoff from municipal roads; create retention basins to decrease time of concentration of stormflow and increase groundwater recharge within the Bear Creek watershed. The Bradford County Conservation District, Saterlee Creek Stream Corridor Rehabilitation 2 project, will receive $171,000. This project will reduce sediment and nutrients reaching Saterlee Creek through the stabilization of stream and road corridors.
Further, the Bradford County Commissioners have been awarded $325,000 for the Bradford County Watershed Initiative 2020. The funding will enable the county to complete up to 10 streambank stabilization projects to reduce approximately 1,000 tons of sediment; 1,000 lbs. of phosphorus and 2,500 lbs. of nitrogen annually. The county will also offer additional classroom and field demonstration trainings to municipal officials, contractors, and landowners about stream function and sediment transport.
As part of a regional initiative, $447,380 has been awarded to Bradford, Clinton, Luzerne, Montour and Columbia counties to promote soil health practices and benefits through education, outreach, and implementation.
“Our local conservation districts and watershed associations are the boots on the ground when it comes to protecting the environment, regularly offering technical assistance and educational guidance to the people and communities in our region,” Sen. Yaw said. “I was pleased to hear that this funding will be directed to our region for site and waterway improvements.”
The Growing Greener program was created in 1999 to protect and improve watersheds, reduce storm water runoff and acid mine drainage (AMD), and to support educational programs and other critical conservation related efforts. The program is supported by the Environmental Stewardship Fund, which receives its funding from landfill tipping fees. Since it was launched in 1999, the Growing Greener program has provided more than $300 million to environmental projects statewide.
For more state-related news and information visit Senator Yaw’s website at www.SenatorGeneYaw.com or on Facebook and Twitter @SenatorGeneYaw.