Environmental grants available

LIBERTY, NY — Sullivan Renaissance offers grants to grassroots community projects that promote a healthy and sustainable environment. The Environmental Demonstration Grant program provides a limited number of matching grants up to $2,500 to organizations for tangible projects that raise environmental awareness and can be replicated in other communities. Examples of eligible programs would be projects that restore stream banks through the planting of trees or other vegetation and school and community recycling and composting programs. Applicants must provide some monetary or in-kind funding match. Proposals and relevant documentation are accepted and considered on a first-come, first-served basis through July 1 based on funding availability. Applicants are notified within 30 days.

For more information visit www.sullivanrenaissance.org or call 845/295-2443.

Census still seeks temporary workers

SCRANTON, PA — The U. S. Census Bureau in Northeast Pennsylvania is still seeking about 500 workers who wish to participate in the first phase of getting census data.

“Anyone interested must act quickly,” said Charlie Spano, assistant manager for recruiting in the Scranton office. “We are actually hiring now for the first operation which will begin in less than a month,” he said.

To apply for the qualifying exam call 570/903-6021. All candidates must bring either a valid passport or both a driver’s license and social security card.

Individuals hired will get mileage reimbursement—currently 55 cents a mile—as field employees. Hours are flexible and may include evenings and weekends. Time in training is also paid for. For more information visit www.census.gov.

DCNR secretary resigns

HARRISBURG, PA — The resignation of Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Michael DiBerardinis was announced last week. It will take effect on April 3.

Pennsylvania protected more than 130,000 acres of natural areas during DiBerardinis’ term as DCNR secretary, a greater amount than was conserved over the past 30 years. He also helped establish large, regional landscape efforts such as the Pennsylvania Wilds—an initiative that is regarded as a national model for mobilizing and coordinating an array of conservation, tourism promotion, economic development and community revitalization interests.

He also launched the iConserve Pennsylvania outreach effort to encourage people to practice conservation in their everyday lives, and helped expand TreeVitalize, the statewide metropolitan tree planting initiative that aims to plant one million trees across the commonwealth to restore cover, educate citizens about caring for our environment, and build capacity among local governments to understand, protect and restore urban trees.

DRBC approves new water audit method

WEST TRENTON, NJ — The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) has voted to phase in a program requiring water suppliers to follow a revised water audit approach for identifying and controlling water loss in the Delaware River Basin.

An estimated 150 million gallons of treated and pressurized water is lost from public water supply distribution systems in the river basin every day. The existing approach tracks “unaccounted-for water,” an indicator now deemed too broad to be useful. The new rule introduces an audit structure established by the American Water Works Association and the International Water Association that provides an alternative measure.

During the voluntary phase-in period, through 2011, information will be gathered to help establish performance indicators for water loss that will replace “unaccounted for water.” The new system will become mandatory beginning in 2012.

For more information visit www.drbc.net .

Introducing Sullivan’s open space plan

MONTICELLO, NY — The Sullivan County Division of Planning and Environmental Management will sponsor a session to introduce the county’s newly adopted open space plan, “Conserving Open Space and Managing Growth,” at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25 at the Ted Stroebel Building (the Neighborhood Facility).

The plan highlights critical resource areas that both benefit and contribute to open space protection, including agriculture, biodiversity, culture and recreation and water. It identifies challenges and opportunities in these areas, and strategies that can lead to open space protection.

The session will be followed by a series of workshops that will be offered throughout the county over the next several months, including sessions on “Open Space Planning in Your Town,” “Making Trail Connections,” and “Wildlife Habitat in Your Backyard.”

For more information visit www.scg.net or call 845/807-0527.

Monster trout derby is back

LACKAWAXEN, PA — This year’s opening day of Pennsylvania’s trout season, April 18, will once again see the kick off of a trout contest on the Lackawaxen River. The business owners of Lackawaxen Township and G. Anderson Homes are sponsoring the third annual Monster Trout Derby, open to all anglers, with approximately $2,500 in prizes being offered. There is no entry fee for the public and no pre-registration. All that an angler needs to do is catch any one of the 100 monster trout being stocked in the Lackawaxen River between Hawley and the Village of Lackawaxen.

The monster trout are approximately 21 to 28 inches in length and weigh between five and 10 pounds. A mix of brown trout, brook trout and rainbow trout will be stocked. The trout are tagged with a number that corresponds with the list of sponsors, and prizes can be claimed by taking the fish to Angler’s Roost sporting goods store on Scenic Drive in Lackawaxen or to Wallenpaupack Sport Shop at Routes 6 and 590 in Hawley.