Pierce County announces the opening of its small grants program, collaborating with local watershed councils, nonprofits, and governmental bodies to enhance environmental health within the region. With a total of $70,000 in funds, grants will be available across four critical watersheds: Key Peninsula-Gig Harbor-Islands, Chambers-Clover Creek, Puyallup-White River, and Nisqually. These individual grants, capped at $2,500 each, are directed at community efforts aiming to improve both habitat and water quality.
Applications are now being sought from a diverse group of potential beneficiaries – nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, tribal entities, local governments, and individuals. However, all interested applicants must submit their proposals by April 30, according to an announcement from Pierce County. The announcement also provides details on watershed boundaries and the online application process.
The grants are divided into specific watershed initiatives. The Puyallup River Watershed Small Grants aim to enhance the water quality within the Puyallup-White River Watershed, funded inclusively by Pierce County and the Puyallup River Watershed Council. Meanwhile, the Chambers-Clover Creek Watershed sees a joint effort between Pierce County and the City of Lakewood to orchestrate environmental grants focused on water quality and habitat projects.
The Lu Winsor Memorial Environmental Grants, targeting environmental education in the Key Peninsula-Gig Harbor-Islands Watershed, are funded by Pierce County, Peninsula Light Co., and the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation. Yet, the Nisqually Watershed Small Grants come as a collaborative offering from Pierce County and the Nisqually River Foundation, purposed for the enhancement of habitats within the Nisqually River Watershed.
Historic beneficiaries of these grants have enacted various initiatives, such as a public training program in Key Peninsula-Gig Harbor-Islands for scientific data collection and a Chambers-Clover Creek Watershed stream cleanup, spearheaded by volunteers. Furthermore, the Puyallup-White River Watershed has invested in educating its youngest residents about salmon migration, fostering a generation conscientious of their natural surroundings and the species with whom they share their streams and rivers.
