(April 2023) The Pigeon River Fund awarded eleven grants totaling $246,430 to environmental groups working to improve surface water quality, enhance fish and wildlife habitats, expand public use and access to waterways and increase water quality awareness in Buncombe, Haywood and Madison counties. Since 1996, the Pigeon River Fund has distributed more than $9.2 million in grants.
The most recent Pigeon River Fund grant recipients are:
$30,000 to Asheville GreenWorks to develop training materials for GreenWorks’ volunteer StreamKeepers, as well as support the Watershed Outreach Coordinator.
$21,900 to Haywood Waterways Association to repair three failing septic systems in the Pigeon River Watershed.
$8,750 to Haywood Waterways Association to address stormwater and streambank erosion issues on Shelton Branch, a tributary to Richland Creek, as well as improve community access to the stream and greenspace.
$9,000 to Laurel Community Center Organization for continued streambank restoration, as well as a new project, the Laurel STREAM Team.
$10,000 to Maggie Valley Sanitary District to help acquire and permanently protect the Pine Tree Cove property in Haywood County.
$35,000 to Mountain Housing Opportunities to enhance the stormwater design at its "Balsam Edge" affordable housing development in the Town of Waynesville.
$16,780 to MountainTrue to continue Swim Guide, a weekly, water-quality monitoring program that samples for E.coli bacteria at popular river accesses.
$20,000 to RiverLink to provide a water-quality science program to students in 3rd to 8th grade.
$30,000 to The Conservation Fund to conserve the Plott Creek Headwaters property in Haywood County.
$30,000 to Town of Waynesville to assist in the establishment of two river access points along Richland Creek as part of an on-going park and greenway expansion project.
$35,000 to Town of Woodfin to prevent erosion and sedimentation of the French Broad River, restore native flora, and develop and install bilingual educational signage at an expanded and improved Riverside Park.
The next application deadline for qualifying nonprofits in Buncombe, Haywood and Madison counties is September 15, 2023. Review application and instructions.
The Pigeon River Fund was established through an agreement between Carolina Power & Light (now Duke Energy) and the State of North Carolina. CFWNC administers the grant program. For information about the Pigeon River Fund, contact Senior Program Officer Tara Scholtz at 828-367-9913.