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HARRISBURG -- On Thursday, in celebration of Earth Day, Gov. Tom Wolf announced $459,823 in environmental education grants to 51 projects addressing environmental justice, climate change, and water quality, including two in local counties.
Eighty-eight percent of grant funds will support projects that engage youth and adults living and/or working within environmental justice areas.
"These grants support projects that increase the environmental knowledge of community members statewide," Wolf said in a statement. "This year's awardees underscore the values of our Earth Week theme: Protect the Environment for All Pennsylvanians."
Grants were awarded by the Department of Environmental Protection to schools, institutions, conservation districts and environmental and community organizations.
The grants program prioritizes projects that:
¯ Educate and engage disadvantaged communities in developing meaningful solutions that address environmental and public health issues;
¯ Educate the public on emissions reduction, energy conservation, renewable energy, and climate adaptation; and
¯ Educate local officials, business owners, homeowners, and the general public about reducing point and nonpoint source pollutions, watersheds, abandoned mine drainage, cold water habitats and other aspects of water quality.
A grant of $2,150 was awarded to the Juniata County Conservation District to provide an environmental education camp experience involving hands-on rotational stations for students in grades 1 through 4 and provide high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors with formal classroom education in raising American eels for release into local waters.
A grant of $1,425 was provided to the Snyder County Conservation District to provide an environmental education camp experience involving hands-on rotational stations for students in grades 1 through 4.
"These DEP-funded projects addresses issues such as climate change, water, and environmental justice that have a positive impact on the environment while improving environmental literacy across the commonwealth for citizens of all ages," said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell in a statement.
The Environmental Education Grants Program was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1993, which mandates setting aside 5 percent of the pollution fines and penalties DEP collects annually for environmental education in Pennsylvania.