Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is investing $17,325,163 for 89 projects across Pennsylvania that will restore streams, improve fish and wildlife habitat, and reclaim mine lands. The grants are part of the Growing Greener program, Pennsylvania’s largest environmental grant program.
“Growing Greener grants are one of the best investments that Pennsylvania makes into improving our environment,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “These 89 projects will lead to cleaner water for us to drink and swim in, better habitat for fish and wildlife, and less pollution in our streams and rivers. It enables local governments, county conservation districts, and non-profit organizations to make Pennsylvania a better place to live and thrive.”
Growing Greener is the largest single investment of state funds in Pennsylvania's history to address critical environmental concerns. For the 2025 grant round, 77 projects were selected to restore streams, improve watersheds, and address legacy water pollution from abandoned mine drainage.
In August 2022, the office of then-Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced that Energy Transfer Marketing & Terminals, L.P. was convicted of criminal charges related to its conduct during construction of two major pipelines. As part of the settlement agreement, Energy Transfer has paid $10 million toward six dedicated projects that improve the quality of watersheds and streams along pipeline routes, including $1,373,394 in this round to three projects in Chester County, two in Beaver County, and one in Lebanon County.
Six projects were funded to create or update Act 167 Stormwater Management Plans. The following counties received funding to start the process of developing or updating their county stormwater management plans: Lackawanna, Luzerne, Fayette, Jefferson, Montgomery, and Westmoreland counties.
Growing Greener grants can be awarded to watershed groups, local or county government, municipal authorities, county planning commissions, county conservation districts, council of governments, educational institutions, or non-profit organizations. Grantees have up to three years to implement their projects.
This funding is being distributed through existing Commonwealth grant programs to ensure high-impact projects are selected in the affected communities and that proper oversight is provided. Grant programs include those operated by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the DEP.
For more information on the Growing Greener Plus grant program, application guidance, and to sign up for notifications when grant programs reopen, visit DEP’s webpage, Growing Greener Plus Grants Program.
Grants were awarded in the following counties:
Allegheny
- Ninemile Run Watershed Association doing business as Upstream Pittsburgh - $211,674 for the Swissvale Hill Phase 2 Project
- Allegheny County Conservation District - $176,417 for Technical Assistance for Improved Resilience and Healthier Streams in Allegheny County Communities
- Allegheny County - $104,000 for South Park Vale of Cashmere Stream Restoration
- Allegheny Land Trust - $144,336 for the Big Sewickley Creek Restoration Project - Hickory Hill
Armstrong
- Armstrong Conservation District - $171,670 for Buffalo Creek Scenic Drive Streambank Stabilization and Fish Habitat
- Armstrong Conservation District - $34,518 for the Kiski and Cowanshannock Stormwater BMP Demonstration and Implementation Project
- Rayburn Township Joint Municipal Authority - $399,964 for the Cowanshannock Creek Streambank Stabilization Project
Beaver
- Beaver County Conservation District - $42,238 for Brush Creek Streambank Stabilization
- Beaver County Conservation District - $138,700 for Raccoon Creek Watershed Streambank Stabilization #1 (Energy Transfer Settlement)
- Beaver County Conservation District - $67,924 for Raccoon Creek Watershed Streambank Stabilization #2 (Energy Transfer Settlement)
Berks
- Berks County Conservation District - $416,031 for Multi-Project Stream and Floodplain Enhancement Along Cacoosing Creek
Blair
- Blair Conservation District - $307,049 for Lewis-Clark Manure Storage for Better Management
- Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - $279,099 for Blair County Stream Restoration
- Blair Conservation District - $317,846 for Stock Farm Manure Storage for Better Management
Bucks
- Penndel Borough - $105,000 for the Unnamed Tributary to Neshaminy Creek Stream Restoration Project
Cambria
- Cambria County Conservation District - $264,765 for the Cambria County Chesapeake Bay Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Projects – Phase IV
- Cambria County Conservation District - $141,620 for Cambria County Ohio River Watershed Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Projects - Phase III
Centre
- Centre County Conservation District - $50,050 for the Centre County Agricultural Plan Development
- Chesapeake Conservancy - $294,468 for the Watershed Renaissance Initiative for Elk Creek Rapid Stream Delisting Catchment
Chester
- Stroud Water Research Center, Inc. - $30,972 for Accelerated Riparian and Channel Restoration, East Branch of White Clay Creek
- Brandywine Red Clay Alliance - $457,264 for East Hillendale Road Stream Restoration-Red Clay Creek Watershed
- Tredyffrin Township - $156,450 for the West Circular Avenue: Stormwater Management and Drainage Improvement Project
- Natural Lands Trust, Inc. - $20,200 for Binky Lee Preserve Riparian Buffer Improvements
- West Chester University - $53,600 for the West Chester University - Amber and Snyder Basin Retrofits Design Project (Energy Transfer Settlement)
- French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, Inc,. - $421,762 for Restoration of the S. Branch of French Creek in and near the Thomas P. Bentley Nature Preserve (Energy Transfer Settlement)
- West Chester University - $361,000 for West Chester University - Swope Basin Retrofit Construction Project (Energy Transfer Settlement)
Clearfield
- Clearfield County Conservation District - $138,900 for the Clearfield County Agricultural Technical Assistance Project
Clinton
- Clinton County Conservation District - $394,966 for Clinton - Fishing Creek Watershed Improvements
Crawford
- Allegheny College - $279,216 for Stream and Floodplain Restoration Utilizing Large Woody Debris in French and Oil Creek Watersheds
Cumberland
- Cumberland County - $260,000 for the Building on Success: Big Spring Creek Stream Restoration in Cumberland County
Elk
- Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - $115,000 for Kersey Run Bennett Branch Stream Restoration
Erie
- Regional Science Consortium at Presque Isle Center - $310,855 for Implementation of Stormwater BMPs at Boat Marinas on Presque Isle Bay's Shoreline
- Erie County Conservation District - $150,000 for the PA VinES Program (Pennsylvania Vested in Environmental Sustainability
Fayette
- Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - $48,184 for the Bullskin Township Mounts Creek Restoration Project
- Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - $290,804 for the Spruell Pipe 4 AMD Remediation Project
- Fayette County Commissioners - $40,000 for the Fayette County Act 167 Plan Scope of Study (Act 167 Grant)
Forest
- Kingsley Township - $451,998 for the Kingsley Township Tionesta Creek Stabilization Project
Indiana
- Indiana County Conservation District - $25,393 for the Indiana County Riparian Buffers
- Indiana County Conservation District - $302,313 for Stewart Heavy Use Area Implementation
- Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - $100,715 for the Dixon Blackleggs Creek Restoration Project
- Indiana County Conservation District - $247,901 for the Pine Run Streambank Stabilization Project
- Indiana County Conservation District - $334,056 for Heeter Farm Manure Storage Implementation
- Indiana County Conservation District - $499,055 for the McNutt Heavy Use Area and Manure Storage Implementation Project
Jefferson
- Jefferson County Commissioners - $30,000 for the Jefferson County Stormwater Management Plan Revision (Act 167 Grant)
Lackawanna
- Lackawanna County Chief Exec Officer, Lackawanna County Commissioners - $26,250 for the Lackawanna County Stormwater Management Plan Scope of Study (Act 167 Grant)
Lancaster
- Warwick Township - $170,000 for the Cocalico Creek Tributary Stream Restoration at Pump Station 18 – Implementation
Lawrence
- Lawrence County Conservation District - $94,886 for Slippery Rock Creek Streambank Restoration and Fish Habitat Improvement
Lebanon
- Trout Unlimited 108, Doc Fritchey Chapter of Trout Unlimited - $330,408 for the Snitz Creek 3 - Stream and Floodplain Restoration (Energy Transfer Settlement)
Lehigh
- Lehigh County Conservation District - $396,800 for Little Lehigh Creek Stabilization and Enhancement
- Lehigh County Conservation District - $169,140 for Restoration of an Unnamed Tributary to Laurel Run
Luzerne
- Luzerne Conservation District - $85,000 for the Toby Creek Watershed Assessment
- Luzerne County Chief Executive Officer - $50,000 for the Luzerne County Act 167 Update (Act 167 Grant)
Lycoming
- Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy - $166,000 for Partnering to Improve the Chesapeake Bay
- Trout Unlimited, Inc. - $194,319 for Streambank Stabilization, Riparian Planting, and Habitat Improvement in the Texas Creek Watershed
McKean
- McKean County Conservation District - $487,707 for the Bucks Hollow Agricultural BMP Initiative
Mercer
- Nicholas Micsky - $109,636 for the Deer Creek Group Habitat Improvement Project
- Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - $188,861 for the Foulk Run Stream Project
Mifflin
- Mifflin County Conservation District - $146,863 for the Falb Stream Restoration
Montgomery
- Lower Salford Township - $164,000 for the Lower Salford - Briarwyck Park Stream Restoration Project
- Hatfield Township - $109,890 for Hatfield Township Basin Modifications
- Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association DBA Wissahickon Trails - $125,105 for Advancing Priority Stormwater Projects for Watershed-Wide Impacts in the Wissahickon - Elm Avenue
- Towamencin Township - $51,150 for the Towamencin - Skippack Creek Restoration Project
- Montgomery County Commissioners, County of Montgomery - $60,000 for Montgomery County Act 167 Phase 1 (Act 167 Grant)
Northampton
- Northampton County - $150,000 for Stream Restoration in Northampton County Parks
- Northampton County Conservation District - $21,882.00 for the Little Bushkill Creek Stream Bank Restoration and Enhancement Project
Philadelphia
- Pennsylvania Horticultural Society - $238,607 for the Trees for Watersheds Grant Program
- Friends of Pastorius Park - $170,042 for the North East Woods Restoration Project
Schuylkill
- Schuylkill Conservation District - $73,745 for Little Mahantango Creek - Ry-Nan Farm Agricultural BMPs Design and Permit
Snyder
- Snyder County Conservation District - $328,943 for Snyder County Agricultural BPMs and Stream Restoration Projects
- Snyder County Conservation District - $500,000 for the Rockhill Dairy Roofed HUA and Mortality Composting Project
Sullivan
- Sullivan County Conservation District - $127,809 for Sullivan County Agricultural BMPs from Stormwater and Resource Protection
Union
- Union County Conservation District - $370,561 for Winfield Creek Stream Improvements Phase 2
Warren
- Warren County Conservation District - $171,831 for Middle Allegheny River Basin Streambank Stabilization Best Management Practices - Phase 1
Washington
- Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - $58,499 for the Shekinah Ranch Maple Creek Restoration Project
- Washington County Watershed Alliance - $139,759 for the Narigan Run and Buffalo Creek Stream Restoration Project
- Washington County Conservation District - $205,550 for the 2025 Pike Run Stream Restoration Project
Westmoreland
- Loyalhanna Watershed Association, Inc. - $293,800 for the Upper Loyalhanna Creek Watershed Improvement Project
- Westmoreland County Conservation District - $132,606 for Oklahoma Borough Park Streambank Stabilization
- Western Pennsylvania Conservancy - $50,488 for the Forbes DCNR Indian Creek Restoration Project
- Westmoreland Conservation District - $104,510 for the Manor Park Streambank Stabilization Project
- Westmoreland County Conservation District - $50,000 for Westmoreland County Act 167 Plan Update (Act 167 Grant)
York
- Watershed Alliance of York - $119,000 for Unnamed Tributary to Kreutz Creek at Stonewood Road Stream Restoration, Design, and Permitting
- Watershed Alliance of York - $163,126 for East Springfield Road Floodplain Restoration, Design, and Permitting on Unnamed Tributary to East Branch Codorus Creek
- Hellam Township - $155,356 for Kreutz Creek Watershed Floodplain Restoration, Design, and Permitting
Multi-County:
- Chesapeake Conservancy, Inc. - $416,396 for Advancing Restoration Projects in Central PA Rapid Stream Delisting Catchments (Clinton, Lycoming)
- Lower Merion Conservancy - $206,850 for Growing Greener Together: Sustainable and Resilient Communities (Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia)
- Wildlands Conservancy - $310,315 for Advancing Aquatic Connectivity and Wildlife Habitat Restoration in the Lehigh Valley (Northampton, Lehigh)
- Lake Wallenpaupack Watershed Management District - $301,500 for Environmentally Sensitive Dirt, Gravel, and Low Volume Road Maintenance Program for Community Association (Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, Wayne
- Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation - $150,000 for Quick Response 11: Fiscal Management for Repair of Growing Greener-type Projects (Statewide)
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