Pennsylvania Lake Management Society (PALMS) Lake Mini Grant Program

Competitive grants of up to $24,000 helping Pennsylvania landowners, nonprofits, conservation districts, and municipalities address eroded shorelines, nutrient loading, and aquatic invasive species in lakes.

The Pennsylvania Lake Management Society, with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, offers competitive mini-grants of up to $24,000 to correct identified lake problems across the Commonwealth. The program assists landowners, nonprofit organizations, county conservation districts, and municipalities in addressing critically eroded shorelines, excess nutrient loading, and aquatic invasive species that degrade lake quality. Priority is given to projects that address watershed impairments identified on Pennsylvania's 303(d) list of impaired waters and that direct at least 85 percent of funds to direct implementation costs. Every funded project must include an education and outreach component, which can take the form of workshops, project signage or kiosks, videos, handouts, or similar activities. The grant period typically opens in early summer. This is a useful complement to stream-focused programs for H2O members working on lake and impoundment issues in the Ohio River headwaters.