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EPA awards $23,000 to Wisconsin conservation group for environmental education project

Release Date: 07/27/2006
Contact Information: William Omohundro, (312) 353-8254, omohundro.william@epa.gov Megan Gavin, (312) 353-5282, gavin.megan@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 06-OPA123

CHICAGO (July 27, 2006) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 recently awarded a $23,000 environmental education grant to River Country Resource Conservation and Development for a program to encourage prairie restoration in the Eau Claire, Wis., area.

The Wisconsin group is among 10 organizations in the EPA's six-state Region 5 that received a total of $187,200 in environmental education grant money this year. More than 100 proposals were received from groups in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

"These creative projects inspire environmental stewardship in communities throughout the Midwest," said Region 5 Acting Administrator Bharat Mathur.
"We recognize the winners' imaginative approaches to environmental education."

The project will focus on prairie restoration near Xcel Energy gas and electric lines, as well as other spots in the area where local organizations, schools, community groups and the public will be encouraged to volunteer. Educational curriculum materials and a Web site will showcase efforts being made to restore the prairie.

EPA grants are awarded yearly under the National Environmental Education Act, which was passed in 1990 to stimulate environmental education through design, demonstration and communications projects conceived by local organizations.

For more information on Region 5's environmental education program go to http:// www.epa.gov/region5/enved.


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