Watershed Assistance Center Offers Free Delivery
to Grassroots Organizations
by Nick Pinizzotto, Senior Director, Watershed Programs

In its three short years of existence, the Watershed Assistance Center has assisted more than 200 different groups with more than 1,000 requests for technical assistance. The center was founded on WPC’s commitment to partner with local groups to address watershed issues. Key to the program’s success is making it easy for volunteers associated with conservation organizations to use the center’s many services, which includes help with scientific, administrative, education and legal issues. “We often joke that using our services is like ordering a pizza,” said program director Nick Pinizzotto. “You simply call us up, tell us what you want, and we deliver. Although a group may have to wait for a few days, we have never turned anyone looking for help away, and that’s something we’re very proud of.”

Three primary funding sources fueled the initial launch of the program: an anonymous donor’s gift of $500,000, a Richard King Mellon Foundation grant of $100,000, and a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Growing Greener grant of $300,000. Over the next two years, an additional grant of $180,000 from DEP, as well as an additional $100,000 from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, was provided to the Center. The success of the program, and the need to become more accessible to groups across the region, necessitated the Center, relocate from the Bear Run Nature Reserve to the southern Indiana County community of Blairsville last March.

In addition to providing technical assistance, the Center has contracted with several organizations to complete numerous important regional projects, and has also taken on projects sponsored by WPC. A River Conservation Plan has been completed for the Sewickley Creek watershed in Westmoreland County, with other plans currently being completed for the lower Crooked Creek watershed in Armstrong County, Sideling Hill Creek, Town Creek and Nine Mile Creek watersheds in Bedford County, and the Shenango River watershed in Crawford, Lawrence and Mercer Counties. A proposal has been submitted to undertake an additional river conservation plan for the Redbank Creek watershed in Clarion and Jefferson Counties. In addition, a greenway plan and water trail map are being completed for the 42-mile stretch of federally designated scenic and recreational Clarion River. Both river conservation and greenway plans are funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The Center is also overseeing a region-wide riparian restoration and protection initiative, which involves working directly with farmers to fence cattle from streams, thus creating critical wildlife habitat and improving water quality on the farm and downstream reaches. “We hope to expand the scope of our riparian restoration efforts to include additional miles of stream fenced and increased education and outreach effort,” said Ben Wright, WPC Director of Watershed Field Services. He added that “With the likely implementation of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program in the Ohio River watershed, we feel we can mesh the two programs and our assistance efforts nicely, with thousands of acres of highly erodible farmland, streams and wildlife standing to benefit.” Other partners working on the project with WPC are California University of Pennsylvania’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife, Natural Resources Conservation Service, County Conservation Districts, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Despite the Center’s increased involvement with watershed specific projects, technical assistance remains the centerpiece of the program. Stan Sattinger, president of the Montour Run Watershed Association, said that “Mindful of the limitations on membership size, volunteer hours, and resources of groups like ours, we are especially grateful for the kinds of services the Center is providing.” Bruce Golden, Regional Coordinator for the Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation added, “The Watershed Center always seems to have an uncanny ability to understand the precise form of assistance that’s needed, and then to provide it. They cut to the heart of the situation cleanly and efficiently.”

Previous technical assistance grants awarded to the Center are due to expire at the end of this year, requiring the development of an additional funding proposal to the DEP Growing Greener Program this March. To date, WPC has spent seven dollars for every five dollars provided by DEP, clearly demonstrating the organization’s commitment to the program. Pinizzotto indicated, “The technical assistance program won’t die if DEP decides not to fund us, but it will certainly limit our ability to help groups at the level we are now.” Bruce Golden added that “Funding this program is one of the wisest uses of taxpayer money in protecting Pennsylvania’s environment I can think of.”

For more information on the work of the Watershed Assistance Center, visit our website at www.paconserve.org/rc.

Watershed Assistance Center Wins Environmental Award Last December, WPC’s Watershed Assistance Center (WAC) won a 2003 Western Pennsylvania Environmental Award in the category of Community. WAC was singled out from a field of more than 60 overall nominations, submitted in five categories, and evaluated by a panel of independent judges on the basis of environmental need, impact and benefit, and planning and innovation. Pictured above is Nick Pinizzotto (left), Senior Director of Watershed Programs, and WPC President and CEO Larry Schweiger (right) flanking John C. Oliver at the awards dinner. Mr. Oliver, a past president of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and first secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his longtime and successful efforts in conservation. Mr. Oliver is now chairman of the Allegheny County Parks Commission.

 

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