Applications open for Coastal Zone Grants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 30, 2021
CONTACT:
Joy Fronzoli
jfronzoli@eriecountypa.gov
814-451-7332
Applications open for Coastal Zone Grants
Erie, PA – The Erie County Department of Planning announces organizations and local governments working to restore and protect Pennsylvania’s coastal zones in the Lake Erie Watershed are invited to apply for FFY 2022 Coastal Zone Grants from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Coastal Resources Management Program (CRM) is accepting grant applications for federal fiscal year 2022 beginning Monday, August 30 through Monday, October 18, closing at 4:00 p.m. Projects funded through the CRM Program must be located within or must directly affect the Lake Erie Coastal Zone, including the Lake Erie Watershed.
Eligible applicants include state agencies, local governments and authorities, schools and universities and incorporated nonprofit organizations. These grants are aimed at supporting programs that measure the impact of various pollution sources, improve public access, preserve habitats and educate the public about the benefits of the state’s coastal zones.
The Lake Erie Coastal Zone, in Erie County, extends to the Canadian boundary in the middle of the lake and inland an average of 1.4 miles. Coastal zones are areas where land meets the coast and include both coastal waters and adjacent shore lands. These areas are challenged with increasing pressure from development, erosion, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Coastal Zone Grants are awarded to projects related to public access, pollution reduction, coastal hazards such bluff recession and coastal flooding, wetlands and fisheries. Grants may also be awarded to other projects in the watershed that have an impact on coastal waters. Projects addressing environmental justice will be given extra consideration in the grant scoring process.
Applications must be submitted online through the environmental e-grants system. For guidelines and a link to the online application, please visit the Coastal Resources Management Grants web site.
For more information, contact Joy Fronzoli in the Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development at 814-451-7332 or jfronzoli@eriecountypa.gov.
###