Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is looking for volunteers to join new Waterway Steward Program
(WPMT FOX 43) Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful on Wednesday announced a new stewardship program designed to help keep commonwealth waterways clean.
The Waterway Steward Program was developed through funding from the Department of Environmental Protection’s Coastal Resources Management Program and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Its purpose is to engage Pennsylvania water trail users in community science and build long-term stewardship of our water trails, while providing valuable data to tell the story about litter in and along our waterways.
“Being a waterway steward is easy,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “Any time you are recreating in or near water, collect litter and stream health data. When you’re finished, dispose of the litter properly and report your data to us. You choose where you want to clean. It can be a different waterway each time.”
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful received a $40,000 Coastal Zone Grant from the DEP Coastal Resources Management Program to establish the Waterway Steward Program and facilitate cleanups in the Delaware Estuary.
“DEP is pleased to support this innovative program to turn residents who use Pennsylvania’s streams, rivers, and lakes into stewards of these waters, helping to document and reduce the trash pollution that threatens water quality for people and aquatic life,” said DEP Acting Secretary Ramez Ziadeh, P.E.
