HARRISBURG, Pa. (September 26) -- The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) is seeking proposals for projects that would be funded through the Tulpehocken and Quittapahilla Watershed Grant Program.
Projects eligible for this program must support aquatic habitat enhancement, recreational access, and water quality in the Tulpehocken Creek and Quittapahilla Creek watersheds in Berks and Lebanon counties and be located wholly within the watersheds.
The Tulpehocken Creek watershed encompasses 219 square miles in Lebanon and Berks counties and includes Blue Marsh Reservoir. The Quittapahilla Creek watershed covers 77 square miles in Lebanon County.
Complete grant applications must be received no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, December 19, 2025. Successful grant recipients are expected to be notified by the end of February 2026.
Parties eligible to submit a grant application for consideration include non-profit organizations with Internal Revenue Service Code Section 501 (c) 3 status (e.g., sportsmen’s groups, watershed associations, conservancies, etc.) or government agencies at the local, state, or federal level. Incomplete applications or applications from individual landowners without any of the aforementioned organization/agency affiliations will not be considered.
For this grant period, applicants are required to provide at least a 25% match of the total project cost with a contribution of cash and/or in-kind services (including labor and/or materials). During this round of grants, there is a total of $188,000 available to fund projects.
Projects must provide one or more of the following aquatic resource benefits:
· Improved aquatic habitats (lakes, streams, wetlands) for fisheries
· Improved water quality
· Recreational fishing and boating opportunities
· Studies related to these topics
Grants can be used for stand-alone projects or to supplement other funding for larger projects that are designed to improve aquatic habitat, water quality, or recreational use. Examples of acceptable project activities include fishery habitat restoration or enhancement; fish stocking; maintenance or creation of facilities to encourage, improve or expand recreational angler and/or boater access; and studies related to these issues.
Funding for the grant program is made available through a settlement agreement between the PFBC and Helix Ironwood, L.L.C., related to the operation of an electric generation facility located in South Lebanon Township, Lebanon County.
More information, including application materials, is available on the Tulpehocken and Quittapahilla Watershed Grant Program page on the PFBC website (Fishandboat.com).
Potential applicants may also contact Jeff Schmid, PFBC Fisheries Biologist, by calling (814) 762-1523, or sending an email to jschmid@pa.gov.