Healthy Pine River group awarded state grant

2 other mid-michigan organizations also received funds to improve water quality

A local environmental organization has been awarded a state grant to assist with its effort in improving water quality in mid-michigan.

The Healthy Pine River group based in Alma has been awarded a $31,400 Watershed Council Support grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s Nonpoint Source Program that helps local stakeholders reduce pollution and excess runoff by supporting efforts to develop and launch watershed management plans.

Healthy Pine River was one of 19 organizations from throughout the state that received a portion of the $600,000 in funding that was available.

The maximum amount any grantee could receive was $40,000.

EGLE received a total of 52 grant applications seeking a total of $1.8 million in funding.

According to the agency, the grants can be used for organizational and administrative support, outreach and education activities, including to underrepresented audiences, creating best management practices and inventory processes for some sources of pollution, monitoring water quality and aquatic life, developing some elements of watershed management, and assessing environmental justice issues and audiences.

Two other groups in mid-michigan, the Saginaw Conservation District ($19,960) and Muskegon River Watershed Assembly in Big Rapids ($25,729), also received grants.

Healthy Pine River brings together local residents, government and health department officials, farmers and other parties interested in restoring the river’s natural waterway and tributaries.

Anyone who would like to get involved in the group is invited to attend a membership meeting that takes place at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Alma Public Library.

More details are also available on the Healthy Pine River website or Facebook page.

For a full list of EGLE grant recipients checkout the agency’s website.