2011 Huff Run Environmental Education Program
General
Problem Description
Rural Action is a non-profit agency that works to promote economic, social, and environmental justice in Appalachian Ohio. The Huff Run Watershed Restoration Partnership (HRWRP) is a local citizen’s group in Carroll and Tuscarawas counties working with many partners to clean up the Huff Run and its watershed as well as to conduct education to involve the community. Huff Run is a small stream running from the Morges area in Carroll County to the Mineral City area in Tuscarawas County. The major pollution concern in the watershed is acid mine drainage. This grant proposal will continue funding for Huff Run’s conservation education programs which includes HRWRP’s annual field trip series, a watershed awareness community festival, watershed tours, an environmental children’s club and biannual newsletters.
Solution Description
HRWRP’s environmental education programs and Rural Action’s restoration of the Huff Run watershed has been a very successful non-profit conservation venture in this environmentally degraded watershed. The primary benefactors of these educational programs include school children, their teachers, parents, and community members. Maureen Wise, Huff Run’s watershed coordinator tells a story told among Huff Run volunteers which took place at the first field trip event as part of Awareness Days in 1997. Most of the students present for that field trip thought that orange water polluted by acid mine drainage was normal. The children thought that all streams run orange in color.
Partnering agencies in these environmental education programs include ODNR Division of Mineral Resource Management, Carroll and Tuscarawas Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Normal Johnson Center, Ohio EPA, the Tuscarawas County Health Department, and the Sunday Creek Watershed Group.
Grant Funding
ELIGIBILITY – AMENDMENT TO THE OFFICIAL PLAN AUTHORIZATION
Amendment to the Official Plan Category: Water Quality Improvements
Amendment to the Official Plan Sub-Categories: WQ-3 Acid Mine Drainage Issues
WQ-5 Environmental Education
Location Information
Activity Log
FUNDING SUMMARY
Total Project Cost: $ 23,355.00
Requested Grant: $ 12,050.00
Recommended Grant: $ 9,684.00
