ClearWater Conservancy Receives $99,700 Grant to Install Riparian Forest Buffers in the Susquehanna River Watershed – Technologist

New funding will enhance water quality, reduce erosion, and support local wildlife

Centre County, PA — ClearWater Conservancy of Central Pennsylvania has been awarded a $99,700 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to install six acres of riparian forest buffers along waterways in the Susquehanna River Watershed. The funding will help protect water quality, reduce soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitats in the region.

Riparian buffers, the transitional area between land and waterways, have important roles in our ecosystem. By planting these areas with native trees and shrubs, they act as natural filters that trap pollutants from stormwater and agricultural runoff, preventing them from reaching our waterways. These buffers also provide critical wildlife habitats, stabilize stream banks, improve in-stream fish habitat, and reduce flooding and soil erosion.

The goal of ClearWater’s Riparian Conservation Program is to improve water quality throughout Central Pennsylvania through the program’s four areas of focus: stream assessment, stewardship, restoration, and protection. The program educates streamside landowners on the role of vegetated buffers, restores streamside buffers with native trees and shrubs, and then stewards the young forests utilizing our volunteer group of Streamside Stewards.

The funding comes from DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2), which supports environmental projects across the state to develop new parks, rehabilitate existing spaces, and protect vital natural habitats. This grant will directly contribute to ongoing efforts to improve water quality and restore natural ecosystems within the Susquehanna River Watershed.

“We’re so grateful to receive funding from DCNR to continue our work restoring forested riparian buffers in the region,” said Jennifer Dombroskie, Riparian Program Manager at ClearWater Conservancy. “These buffers will not only protect our local waterways but also contribute to the overall health of the entire watershed, benefiting communities, wildlife, and future generations.”

The grant is part of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ broader initiative to promote sustainable environmental practices and improve the health of the Commonwealth’s natural resources. ClearWater Conservancy’s project is expected to begin in 2025 with landowner outreach and will complete the plantings by 2027.

See the full list of grant recipients

Contact Jill if you have a waterway on your property that needs cover

Volunteer with ClearWater by contacting Jenna

ABOUT CLEARWATER CONSERVANCY
ClearWater Conservancy is a nationally accredited land trust and locally formed conservation organization nestled in the heart of central Pennsylvania. Since 1980, ClearWater has worked to improve and protect the natural resources of central Pennsylvania for all, through land conservation, water resource protection, and environmental outreach to the community. We are an accredited land trust having protected over 11,000 acres of land and water, restored more than 200 acres of streamside forests along more than 26 miles of stream, and we help engage thousands of people in the outdoors each year.

Media Press Contact
Katie Molinengo
Communications Director for ClearWater Conservancy
[email protected]