Mar 13 2013

Grants Available for Community Based Clean Water Projects

Funding for Projects to Help Protect Creeks, Wetlands and the Bay –

The Alameda County Clean Water Program is inviting applications for its 2013 Community Stewardship Grant Program, designed to encourage and facilitate community-based actions that enhance and protect the health of local waterways.

Proposed projects must be aimed at storm water pollution prevention in Alameda County and contain a community or public outreach element. Funding requests between $1,000 and $5,000 per project will be considered, for a total 2013 grant budget of $20,000. Eligible applicants include teacher and student groups, youth organizations, homeowners associations, community groups, environmental groups and other non-profit organizations. The application deadline is April 18, 2013.

Clean Water Program grants support community-based projects designed to protect waterways in Alameda County.

About the Clean Water Program

Made up of agencies from around Alameda County, the Clean Water Program has been working since 1991 to facilitate local compliance with the Federal Clean Water Act. Member agencies include the cities of Piedmont, Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, Pleasanton, San Leandro and Union City, the County of Alameda, the Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, and the Zone 7 Water Agency.

The Program reaches out to residents and businesses throughout the county, helping people understand why having clean and healthy waterways is important to our daily lives, and what role each of us plays in protecting local creeks, wetlands and the Bay. Fostering an appreciation of the local environment, the Program inspires residents to do their part to prevent water pollution during everyday activities like gardening, household cleaning, and keeping their cars in good shape. The Program’s free publications and consultations help business owners and managers understand water pollution prevention regulations that affect them, and adopt best practices to stay in compliance.

For more information about the Clean Water Program visitwww.cleanwaterprogram.org.

To view an online version of this release, please click here.

“Projects funded by the grants help us reach out to people in Alameda County about the importance of clean and healthy waterways and what we can all do to protect our creeks, wetlands and the Bay,” explained Clean Water Program Manager Jim Scanlin. “The grants provide financial support to local groups and organizations aligned with this mission, and in turn their expertise, creativity and networks on the community level help us expand our reach,” he added.

Since its beginnings over 15 years ago, the annual grants program has funded almost 100 grassroots projects. Activities range from creek restoration, wildlife habitat improvement and rainwater harvesting to outreach and education. Projects focused on outreach typically address practices to prevent storm water pollution such as proper household hazardous waste disposal, litter prevention, Integrated Pest Management, etc. Outreach methods include art projects, events, trainings, videos and printed materials, among others.

Sample projects funded in recent years:

  • Park Day School in Oakland installed a rainwater garden and cistern as part of the school’s learning garden program, developed educational signage and provided tours of the garden and catchment system to outside visitors at several school events.
  • Cycles of Change in Oakland trained high school students as “watershed ambassadors” who led groups of 3rd through 8th grader to educate small businesses near Lake Merritt about their shared watershed and how to prevent storm water pollution.
  • The Alameda Creek Alliance recruited and trained volunteers to monitor, clean up and restore creek habitat, and reach out to creek-side residents through the StreamKeeper Program, aimed at the restoration of salmon and steelhead trout to Alameda Creek.

For more information about the Clean Water Program Community Stewardship Grants and projects funded in the past, and to download an application packet please visit www.cleanwaterprogram.org/grants.

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