Johnstown granted $300k for flood protection projects

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — A state grant of $300,000 will be used by Johnstown to evaluate flood protection projects on several local rivers.

The grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program run by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will let the city evaluate projects for the Stoneycreek, Little Conemaugh and Conemaugh rivers.

"Making sure Johnstown and its residents are adequately protected from flooding is important, especially given its history, but if a necessary and utilitarian flood mitigation project can be done in a way that enhances the region's quality of life, all the better," State Representative Frank Burns (D-Cambria) said. "This grant will help the Johnstown Redevelopment Authority study flood projection projects that prioritize those long-term benefits, including environmental considerations and recreational opportunities."

The DCNR's Community Conservation Partnerships Program is designed to help communities, land conservancies and nonprofit organizations plan, acquire and develop recreation, park and conservation facilities, watersheds, river corridors and buffers, greenways and trails, heritage areas and critical habitat, natural areas and open space.