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Lancaster County’s Matt Kofroth Receives Watershed Champion Award From Alliance For The Chesapeake Bay

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay will recognize four environmental leaders at its annual Taste Of The Chesapeake Awards dinner on September 13 in Annapolis.

Matt Kofroth from Lancaster County will be honored with the Watershed Champion Award.

Kofroth’s knowledge and “can do” spirit are at the heart of his local watershed work, and the Watershed Champion Award recognizes his incredible impact on each downstream neighbor who has benefited from the many projects and programs he’s implemented.

During his years of volunteering in watershed efforts prior to his work at the Lancaster County Conservation District, he steadily built a base of understanding about the improvements and best practices needed to help Lancaster County, PA, waterways.

As the watershed specialist at the district for almost 20 years, Matt has coordinated volunteer monitoring programs, helped to organize local watershed associations, reviewed and written grants for restoration projects and created resources for county homeowners to improve their water use.

His innovations in watershed education have empowered numerous volunteers to make a difference in their own watershed.

Recognizing that one person can’t do it all, he guides and serves as a resource to enable others to excel and complete goals broadening the ripples in the stream, so to speak.

Matt has contributed to the Alliance’s Pennsylvania work, including the READY program and Restoring the Octoraro Reservoir project, as well as serving as a guide for the Alliance’s state team in writing a watershed implementation plan.

Matt has been involved in countless Alliance efforts and is a resident watershed expert for many groups in Lancaster County and beyond.

Matt also coordinated a project-- restoration of a section of Big Beaver Creek on a Plain Sect farm-- recently highlighted by DEP and the Department of Agriculture during Chesapeake Bay Watershed Awareness Week. The project won the Governor’s 2018 Award For Environmental Excellence.

Click Here for a list of the other award recipients.

For more information on this special event, visit the Alliance’s Taste Of The Chesapeake webpage.

More information is available on programs, initiatives and special events on the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Alliance, Like the Alliance on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, add them to your Circle on Google+ and visit the Alliance’s YouTube Channel. Click Here to support the Alliance’s work.

NewsClips:

AP: DEP Secretary- PA Clearly Behind In Meeting Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Obligations [No Surprise]

PA Officials Admit Their State Is Behind In Curbing Chesapeake Bay Pollution

Next Steps To Help Chesapeake Bay? Tackling Polluted Runoff

Hayes: Gov. Wolf Wants Federal Money To Reduce Farm Runoff

Chesapeake Bay States, EPA Call For More Assistance To Region’s Farmers

Bay Journal: Chesapeake Executive Council Pledges More Help For Farmers

CBF Blog: Three Things Chesapeake Bay Restoration Leaders Need To Do

Maryland Officials Ask Conowingo Dam Owner To Help Deal With Chesapeake Bay Pollution

Kummer: Maryland: We’re Drowning In Pennsylvania’s Trash

Maryland Gov. Ready To Push Neighboring States To Do More To Restore Chesapeake Bay

NRCS Unveils Conservation Strategy For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup