The Southwest Florida Water Management District is announcing the recipients of the 2006 Community Education Grant Program. The grants, which are up to $5,000 each, will help fund projects that provide communities the opportunity to learn about water resources.
This year the District awarded 34 grants Districtwide for a total of $151,278. Of those 34 grants awarded, two were awarded to groups in Citrus County.
The overall goal of the Community Education Grant Program is to actively engage adults in water-related issues pertaining to conservation, protection and preservation. Funded by the District’s Basin Boards, the program is intended to motivate communities to get involved in water protection through various activities and educational formats.
This is the ninth year community education grants have been available.
An estuary restoration project will be funded by the District’s Coastal Rivers Basin Board, which includes portions of Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus counties.
The Save the Homosassa River Alliance will receive $3,000 for an estuary restoration project. More than 10,000 residents in the Homosassa watershed will benefit from this coastal shoreline restoration project which involves volunteers removing project which involves volunteers removing Brazilian pepper trees and planting local red mangrove trees on a visible mudflat in the Homosassa River estuary. Educational signage will focus on the problems with invasive species.
The Citrus County Water-Wise Festival will be funded by the District’s Withlacoochee River Basin Board, which includes portions of Pasco, Sumter, Hernando, Citrus, Marion, and Levy counties.
The Citrus County Extension Service Office will receive $5,000 for the Citrus County Water-Wise Festival. This one-day festival, which will be held Mar. 11, will target 1,000 Citrus County high-volume water-users identified through utility bills and other area residents. According to a recent water survey, Citrus County residents use an average of 221 gallons per person per day. The statewide average is 103 to 155 gallons per person per day. The festival will include workshops on indoor and outdoor water conservation, watershed awareness and pollution prevention. Local environmental volunteers will also be recognized.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s 2007 Community Education Grant Program will begin its application process in August of this year if funding is approved by the Basin Boards. The deadline for applications is tentatively scheduled for September. To be added to the mailing list to receive the 2007 application, call the District’s Communications and Community Affairs Department at 800-423-1476 or 352-796-7211, ext. 4757.