 On Aug. 26, 2005, Eastern Kentucky PRIDE announced the 2005 recipients of PRIDE Community Grants. PRIDE awarded 54 grants totaling $2,033,168, to counties, cities and nonprofit organizations in southern and eastern Kentucky.
The grant funds will be used primarily to remove illegal dumps, operate recycling programs and dispose of trash collected during community cleanup events, such as the PRIDE Spring Cleanup.
PRIDE awarded five Community Grants, worth a total of $102,000, to support the region’s Watershed Watch programs, which train and equip volunteers to monitor water quality. Information about volunteering with Watershed Watch programs across the state is available at 1-800-928-0045, extension 473, or www.kywater.org/watch.
Two nonprofit organizations received PRIDE Community Grants totaling $100,000 to construct wetlands in McCreary County and the Daniel Boone National Forest. Wetlands provide wildlife habitat and control flooding. Once common in Kentucky, most wetlands were drained to make space for farming and development.
“The local governments and nonprofits that went after these grants are to be commended,” said Richard Thomas, PRIDE executive director. “Congressman (Hal) Rogers makes sure PRIDE funds are available for cleaning the region’s environment, but it is up to communities to put the funds to work.”
“I encourage citizens to contact their local grant recipients to see if volunteers are needed to help with the grant projects,” Thomas continued. “Another thing citizens can do is report littering and dumping to the local solid waste coordinator. Cleaning up after a few irresponsible people is expensive, and we need to send the message that we no longer will put up with their illegal activities.”
Since 1997, PRIDE has invested $22,618,434 in grants to tackle the region’s solid waste problems. So far, local governments and nonprofit organizations have used PRIDE grants to clean up 2,228 illegal dumps across the region.
The PRIDE Community Grant program provides up to $50,000 to counties, cities, other public entities and nonprofit organizations for environmental improvement projects in southern and eastern Kentucky. The program encourages community and citizen involvement in projects to promote personal responsibility for the environment. Recipients must match the grant with a contribution worth at least 10 percent of the grant amount.
PRIDE promotes “Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment” in 38 counties by encouraging and providing resources for communities to clean waterways, end illegal trash dumps and promote environmental education. PRIDE was founded in 1997 by Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-5) and the late James Bickford, former secretary of the state’s environmental protection agency, and is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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