Friday, March 14, 2008

Small Grants to 12 Taunton River Projects

The Taunton River Watershed Campaign, a coalition of ten environmental and planning organizations, has announced that approximately $15,000 in small grants has been awarded to 12 open space and environmental projects in the Taunton River watershed. Each of the grantees will contribute at least a one to one match in donations and volunteer or professional time to their projects.

The watershed grants include Open Space and Recreation Plans in the communities of Lakeville, Middleborough and Raynham, and to citizens groups in West Bridgewater, Hanson, Plympton and Swansea who are organizing support for the Community Preservation Act.

Also funded were trail improvements at the recently preserved Cole Property in Carver, a public awareness and outreach campaign for the Taunton River Greenway by the Greater Fall River Land Conservancy, a canoe rack at the Bridge Village Heritage Park in Berkley, ecological landscaping at a planned skate park along the Mill River in Taunton, and equipment and training so that the TEAMS organization can combat invasive plants in the Assawompsett Ponds in Middleborough and Lakeville. The grants range from under $500 to $2,500.

The Watershed Campaign’s small grants are open to cities and towns, grassroots groups and nonprofit groups working on conservation issues and land use planning to protect natural resources. This year, priority was given to projects which will result in the permanent protection of significant natural resources, the preparation of municipal open space and recreation plans, and passage of the Community Preservation Act.

Congratulations to all of the grantees!
Municipal Open Space and Recreation Plans:

Middleborough, $2,500
Raynham, $2,500
Lakeville, $2,000

Environmental Projects:

Cole Property Trail Revitalization, Carver Conservation Commission, up to $2,000
Greater Fall River Land Conservancy, public awareness & outreach of the riverfront greenway from Fall River to Freetown, $1,000
TEAMS, invasive plant training and equipment: $624
Taunton Skate Park Committee, river front landscaping and clean up of buffer zone on Mill River parcel, $1,400
Friends of the Park, canoe rack at Berkley’s Bridge Village Heritage Park, $1,400

Community Preservation Act local ballot committees:

West Bridgewater CPA Committee, $500
Preserve Hanson CPA Committee, $500
Plympton Citizens for CPA, $280
Citizens to Preserve Swansea’s Character, $280