The Umcompahgre Plateau Project in Montrose and Delta counties will receive a $40,000 federal grant to restore and protect 23 miles of riparian buffer along the Gunnison River.
The grant was announced July 12 by the National Association of Counties (NACo). NACo has awarded $246,100 in grants through the Five Star Program Partnership to sustain 10 projects in various counties across the country to help implement locally-driven wetland and watershed restoration projects.
Five Star Restoration projects involve a high degree of cooperation with local governmental agencies, elected officials, community groups, businesses, schools and environmental organizations working together to improve local water quality and restore central fish and wildlife habitats.
Montrose and Delta County partners will remove invasive plants and restore native species to enhance the riverside habitat. This project will also engage local residents in educational efforts about invasive species management and watershed health. Educational signs will be established at multiple trailheads to provide information to users of the trail system. Project partners include the Umcompahgre Plateau Project, Bureau of Land Management, Delta County Weed Board, Chaco Sandals Company Volunteers, and Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area Friends groups.”On behalf of the nation’s counties, I congratulate the 2008 NACo Five Star grantees,” said NACo President Eric Coleman, commissioner, Oakland County, Mich. “NACo is very proud of its longstanding support of the Five Star Restoration Challenge Grant Program. Counties and their partners across the country are fostering environmental stewardship and building diverse partnerships that promise to restore and protect the environment well into the future.”
Since 1997, NACo has helped fund projects in 118 counties across the country, providing a total of more than $1,196,000 for community-based environmental restoration and education. The Five Star Restoration Program has supported more than 400 projects with more than $4 million in federal funds.
Major funding for the program comes from the EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. Other participating partners of the program are the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Wildlife Habitat Council with corporate sponsors Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern Company.