Warrior’s Mark Run is a stream in Huntingdon County (classified as a high-quality coldwater fishery) that has been polluted by grazing cows from nearby farms; cow manure overloads the water with nutrients, disrupting aquatic ecosystems and killing fish and other animals. Funding from the Environmental Stewardship Fund enabled the Huntingdon County Conservation District (HCCD) […]
From 2012 to 2018, the McKean County Conservation District used grants from the Environmental Stewardship Fund to implement best management practices (BMPs) on 11 family farms in the area. The BMPs have helped reduce pollution and sedimentation in nearby tributaries to the Allegheny River by as much as 50%. These projects included: Stream crossings […]
In 2018, a grant from the Environmental Stewardship Fund helped The Nature Conservancy (TNC) permanently conserve 1,600 acres in Perry County that was in danger of being turned into a housing development. The property is located along Blue Mountain, which stretches across Pennsylvania from the Maryland border to New Jersey. The iconic ridgeline is […]
Decades ago, the Blue Coal Corporation used Bliss Bank to store mine waste. After the area was abandoned, it sat idle for years, a toxic eyesore of piled mine waste and pools of stagnant water. The neglected site was a hotbed for illegal activity, including trash dumping and ATV trespassing. Runoff from the site also […]
Funding from the Environmental Stewardship Fund enabled the Lycoming County Conservation District (LCCD) to implement a number of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) that drastically reduced the amount of polluted water flowing from a local farm into nearby waterways. The heaviest-used area of the farm—a steep hillside where the herd of cows congregated—caused most […]
The Mill Cove Environmental Area and Education Center is a popular spot for outdoor recreation and nature education in Tioga County. The area features hiking trails, a camping area, picnic pavilions, wildlife habitat, and fishing spots, including Mill Run, which flows into Mill Cove. However, erosion along Mill Run had become a major problem. […]
After attending a presentation about stormwater runoff, nuns of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) congregation in Scranton became concerned about pollution harming the nearby Lackawanna River. They wanted to do something to reduce stormwater runoff from the impermeable surfaces on the IHM property, which includes a church and community center. An opportunity arose […]
In 2010, Heritage Conservancy received a Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for open space preservation in Durham Township, Bucks County. Funds were used to acquire conservation easements on approximately 37 acres of land along Mine Hill Road. The area is now known as the Rattlesnake and Mine Hill Wildlife Preservation Trust property.
Southern Fulton County is known for its gently rolling hills and expansive farms and pastures. The area’s rich agricultural history has traditionally lent itself to an abundance of open space and few venues for organized sports. Recognizing this deficiency, in 2000 the Southern Fulton School District commissioned a private consulting firm to determine the feasibility […]
Environmental Stewardship Fund (ESF) investments have made the Lititz Run Watershed Alliance (LRWA) a catalyst for change in the community. In 1999 LRWA was awarded its first ESF grant to conduct a riparian buffer establishment project on a tributary stream to Lititz Run. The Wynfield project was situated on the Santo Domingo Creek tributary and […]
