UPPER ALLEGHENY WATERSHED ASSOCIATION
GETS START-UP GRANT
The Department of Environmental Protection informed the Potter
County Conservation District that they have been selected to receive an
Environmental Stewardship and Watershed Protection (Growing Greener) Grant of
$20,000, for the Upper Allegheny Watershed Association Start-up.
The response to the sixth year of the Growing Greener grants program was
excellent, with nearly 450 eligible applications. We are pleased to see the
continued interest in watershed restoration and protection shown by the Upper
Allegheny Watershed Association membership to date. Selecting among the many
excellent project proposals has become a difficult task. The Upper Allegheny
Watershed Association (UAWA) has shown it is a conservation minded organization
quickly establishing itself since April 2003, in stream clean-ups, adopt a
highway projects, stream monitoring, adopting by-laws and electing officers and
directors, and other educational projects.
The Start-up Grant monies will be used to purchase office eqipment, stream
monitoring materials, educational projects and much, much more. The Potter
County Conservation District and the UAWA want to thank the Governor, and DEP
for this opportunity to Participate for Preservation of our Potter/McKean
Allegheny Watershed.
The UAWA will strive to form productive partnerships with landowners,
businesses, industry, municipal, county, state, and federal governmental
agencies, conservation, civic, sportsman associations, and educational groups to
support its mission.
The overriding purpose of the UAWA is to establish a locally driven long range
comprehensive watershed management program that will preserve, protect and
improve the watershed for present and future generations.
GOALS:
Public Education regarding the value of proper stream and watershed management.
Seek Funding from all sources (local, state, federal) for watershed
preservation, protection and improvement.
Monitor Legislation impacting watersheds– support favorable legislation;
challenge negative legislation.
Assessment of watershed conditions– what’s good? What’s bad?
Restoration projects designed to preserve “what’s good and improve what’s bad”.
Improvement and Preservation of the plant life, wildlife, and aquatic life
within the watershed.
Seminar Participation to stay informed of all current methods of watershed
improvement.
Encourage Public Participation
Anyone who works, lives, hikes, fishes, bird-watches, hunts, camps, boats,
snowmobiles, etc., in Potter and McKean counties is already enjoying and
benefiting from the clean water and natural resources which exist in the Upper
Allegheny Watershed.” Help us keep what we have.
The UAWA welcomes the opportunity to present its purpose and structure to any
club, organization, association or group interested.