MORELAND HILLS –Western Reserve Land Conservancy and Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation are partnering to offer grants – up to $5,000 – to groups that work to protect water quality through the Dominion Energy Watershed Mini Grant program.

“We are extremely grateful to partner with Dominion Energy again this year to support the important and innovative work of watershed groups across the state,” said Rich Cochran, president and CEO of the Land Conservancy. “Ohio’s watershed groups are critical to protecting the health of Ohio’s freshwater resources.”

Funding will be made available to eligible watershed groups in the following categories:

• Marketing, Promotions and OutreachProjects: Grants will be made for marketing and educational outreach projects (maximum request$1,500)

• Healthy Watershed Projects: Grants willbe made for restoration or water quality enhancement projects (maximum request $2,500)

• Spotlight Project: A special grant award, up to $5,000, will be made in support of a larger water quality or restoration project. To be considered, projects must include at least 10 percent matching funds and be located in the overlapping service areas of Dominion Energy and the Land Conservancy. Counties eligible for the Spotlight Project include: Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Jefferson, Lake, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne

The program, funded by Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation and administered by the nonprofit Western Reserve Land Conservancy, is entering its fifth year. Since its inception in 2015, more than $140,000 has been awarded to 38 watershed groups across the state. The Ohio program is patterned after a similar Dominion Energy-backed grant initiative in Pennsylvania with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

“Dominion Energy is proud to partner with Western Reserve Land Conservancy for our fifth annual Watershed Mini Grants Program,” said Jim Eck, Vice President and General Manager of Ohio and West Virginia Distribution for Dominion Energy. “It’s a privilege to support these amazing environmental initiatives that are happening throughout the state of Ohio.”

In order to be eligible for grant funding, an organization must be a watershed group based in one of the counties served by Western Reserve Land Conservancy or Dominion Energy. Counties eligible for the Marketing, Promotions and Outreach Projects, and Healthy Watershed Projects include: Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Auglaize, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Guernsey, Hardin, Harrison, Holmes, Huron, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Mercer, Monroe, Muskingum, Noble, Ottawa, Paulding, Portage, Putnam, Sandusky, Shelby, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Van Wert, Washington, Wayne and Wood.

The applicant must also be a qualified nonprofit, tax-exempt organization with a Federal Tax ID Number or be working with a qualified fiscal sponsor – a nonprofit or a county soil and water conservation district. New applicants must contact Western Reserve Land Conservancy to discuss their project to ensure eligibility. Returning applicants and past grant recipients are free to submit applications providing all previous grant projects are in progress or reporting requirements fulfilled.

Applications are available online, https://www.wrlandconservancy.org/articles/2019/07/01/ohiowatershedminigrants/