DEP Grants Protect Pennsylvania’s Coastal Zones

On Wednesday, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced $1.2 million in Coastal Zone Management Grants to organizations dedicated to protecting and preserving Pennsylvania’s coastal zones along Lake Erie and the Delaware Estuary.

Included in the grants were these four from Bucks County:

• Bucks County Conservation District - $25,000 to implement and track the Coastal Non-Point Pollution Program management measures
• Heritage Conservancy - $12,942 to restore and develop interpretative programs about Bristol Marsh, a unique tidal wetland in Bucks County’s coastal zone region
• Friends of Silver Lake - $10,000 to train students and community volunteers in proper water testing protocol, develop an educational program for research and provide outreach to local municipalities
• Morrisville Borough - $14,346 to restore, preserve and provide public access to more than eight acres of natural riverfront area

Coastal Zone Management grants are intended to support programs that measure the impact of various pollution sources, improve public access, preserve habitat and educate the public on the benefits of the state’s coastal zones.

“Our coastal waters of the Delaware Estuary and Lake Erie are a unique gift, but with this gift comes responsibility,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. “These grants will help us protect and conserve these great coastal resources for all of our citizens and visitors to enjoy, and they will benefit our economy.”

The annual grants, largely funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), were awarded to 26 non-profit and government organizations in counties that border Pennsylvania’s coastal zones or have a direct impact on water quality in those areas.

Coastal zones and adjacent shore land face increasing pressure from development, erosion, biodiversity losses and pollution. Pennsylvania’s two coastal areas include a 112-mile stretch along the Delaware Estuary and 76 miles along Lake Erie.

The Delaware Estuary coastal zone is in Bucks, Delaware and Philadelphia counties and contains islands, marshes and the shore lands of tributaries that are affected by ocean tides. The Delaware Estuary is considered one of the largest freshwater ports in the world.

For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Coastal Zone.