by Barb Grover, Political Committee Co-chair, Allegheny Group
The Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club has the responsibility each year of providing grant awards from the Huplits Wildlife Endowment. The Huplits Wildlife Grants Committee includes four members from the Allegheny Group (Renee Dolney, Chris Shepherd, Chris Seymour, and Ellen Wright) and three people from outside the Group (Amy Faivre, Matt MacConnell, and Dave Byman). Grant proposals must be designed to help protect animal wildlife and wildlife habitat in Pennsylvania. Requests for proposals were advertised in February 2022 with a May 1, 2022 deadline. This year, we had a maximum of $100,000 that we could grant. After review by the committee members, the following organizations were given awards, totaling $86,225. We encourage all our Sierra Club members and other environmental organizations to consider submitting applications in 2023. The Request for Proposals will be available on the Allegheny Group’s website and the PA Chapter’s website in early February 2023. Start planning NOW! Contact Barb Grover at 412-521-9526 or barbgrover1@gmail.com for details.
Allegheny Land Trust - $14,407
The Allegheny Land Trust will use these funds to acquire the Montour Greenway Extension – Johnston project in Moon Township. This acquisition will close the final gap and permanently protect an essential green space for environmental and recreational benefit for generations to come.
Friends of Toms Creek - $1,679
Friends of Toms Creek will conduct community outreach programs to educate and advocate for a hybrid greenway located in southwest Adams County. Their goal is to preserve, protect, and enhance pristine water that supports native brook trout, macro-invertebrates on which the native brook trout depend, and other wildlife.
Grounded Strategies - $5,138
Grounded strategies will continue their case study to maximize the ecological health and wildlife habitat of a typical urban lot.
Keystone Trails - $6,029
Keystone Trails, the PA chapter of the Sierra Club and Save PA Forests Coalition will develop a short , mini-documentary to raise awareness about hazards to wildlife, including threats to hiking posed by expanded All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) use on State Forestlands.
Lehigh Valley 1 - OWLS $2,322
Four Barn Owl Houses will be installed at the Trexler Nature Preserve. Nesting habitat has been recommended by the PA Game commission for several years to reduce the decline in population.
Lehigh Valley 2 - $10,167
The project will repair damage to the bank of Bertsch Creek , a tributary to the Lehigh River. The project will also establish bank stabilization and aquatic habitat enhancement structures to the damaged area.
Mennonite Central Committee - $9,851
The focus of the project is on wildlife habitat revitalization. They will provide educational opportunities for local school groups, community groups and organizations, as well as young adult research projects to restore 5 acres of woodland.
Merrill Linn Conservancy - $14,386
The conservancy wishes to acquire 165 acres of privately held land within the Bald Eagle State Forest in central PA. The Huplits award will contribute to that purchase along with several other organizations.
Mountain Watershed - $18,571 Acceptance 7/5/2022
The Project will support the legal challenge of the proposed 1400 acre expansion of the Rustic Ridge Deep Coal Mine in Donegal Township. If the challenge is successful, it will protect both the Indian Creek and Loyalhann Watersheds and all those who depend on them
Philadelphia Metro Wildlife - $3,675
The award will be used to purchase supplies to construct 2 outdoor raptor enclosures and 2 waterfowl enclosures. Staff will build the enclosures with the help of Norristown Eagle Scouts. Avian Flu is already affecting birds in the region and most rehabilitators are closing or refusing to admit birds. Metro Wildlife needs to expand their waterfowl and raptor capacity.
This blog was included as part of the September 2022 Sylvanian newsletter. Please click here to check out more articles from this edition!