HARRISBURG, PA — Stroud Water Research Center Inc. will receive $113,000 in state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant money to install riparian buffers protecting the Lower Susquehanna River, state Reps. Tom Caltagirone and Mark Rozzi announced today.
The grant, which is part of a $790,000 investment statewide to plant trees along waterways, will cover approximately 38 acres of buffers in the region’s watershed.
Forest buffers along stream banks provide critical barriers between polluting landscapes and receiving waterways. Properly planted and maintained, streamside tree and shrub plantings filter the runoff of sediments and fertilizers that are applied to lawns and crops; control erosion; slow stormwater runoff; cool stream temperatures; and improve fish habitat.
“This is a fantastic investment in helping not only to beautify and protect our waterways, but also protect larger watersheds downstream, all the way to the Chesapeake Bay,” said Caltagirone, D-Berks. “When we help ourselves, we help others in turn, and all reap the rewards in our food, water and recreation ecosystems.”
“Pollution remains one of our main concerns in an agricultural community, and riparian buffers are a proven reducer of dangerous run-off. Congratulations are in order for Stroud Water Research Inc. and their commitment to our region,” said Rozzi, D-Berks. “Their professionalism and expertise are a great boon to our region and reflect highly on our community.”
The grants are administered through the Community Conservation Partnerships Program with dollars from the Keystone Fund, which is generated from a portion of the realty transfer tax and the Environmental Stewardship Fund, which receives its funding from landfill tipping fees. Grants for buffer plantings also will be available in the 2017 grant round opening this month.
