246 S. Walnut Street, Blairsville, PA 15717
Phone: 724.459.0953 Fax: 724.459.4721
Technical Assistance
Scientific
The Freshwater Conservation Program can provide technical expertise in identifying and treating all non-point pollution types, including abandoned mine drainage. Assistance with water quality and riparian area monitoring, macro-invertebrate sampling, habitat evaluations, and monitoring protocol development is also available. Trained staff is available to serve on project steering and technical committees as well.
Legal
One of the biggest issues faced by groups is organizational standing. The Center can assist newly forming groups with development of by-laws, articles of incorporation and filing for non-profit status with the IRS. Other important legal assistance provided includes land acquisition, easements, and filing for Good Samaritan protection.
Administrative
Assistance is available for completing the many types of documentation associated with completing grant-funded projects, such as scope of work revisions, budget establishment, quarterly status reports and reimbursement requests. Help with managing budget issues associated with organizations is available as well. Many groups have exciting and worthwhile projects to complete in their watersheds, but struggle with completing the proposals necessary to receive grant funding. The Freshwater Conservation Program trained staff can assist in applying for these funds as well as provide grant administrative services once funds are awarded. Although the Freshwater Conservation Program does not prepare funding proposals on behalf of organizations, assistance with all aspects of preparing a proposal can be provided.
Outreach
Assistance can be provided for the development of promotional materials
such as newsletters, pamphlets and even websites. If a group has a web presence, assistance is available for updating that site.
If a group has been working on or has completed worthwhile projects but hasn't received the recognition it deserves, the Freshwater Conservation Program can assist by coordinating with the media by inviting them to attend an organization's functions and project sites. Assistance with preparing media releases can also be provided.
Education
This can range from actual in-field training for a particular project or through a formal program. Training opportunities include grant administration, promotional material development and using geographic information systems (GIS). The center can provide watershed education to children and students as well as to watershed organizations.
Project Analysis and Prioritization
The Freshwater Conservation Program can assist with prioritizing projects by visiting project sites and contacting appropriate agency or consulting personnel. Assistance with forming important partnerships for each project is also available. Once a list of projects is developed and their priority has been established, it is necessary to match each project with the appropriate funding source. The Freshwater Conservation Program has developed a library of funding sources for use in making this determination. Eventually, this library will be available for download on the Center's website. An important component to most funding proposals is the identification of matching funds or services a group will draw from to complete a project. This can be a monumental task for a volunteer group. The Center can provide assistance with locating matching funds and services as well as determining how they fit into a particular project.
