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Winchester receives wetlands grant

March 20, 2012|By Katie Perkowski | The Winchester Sun

The City of Winchester will receive more than $9,000 in grants to construct six wetlands as part of the Town Branch Restoration Project.

Bluegrass PRIDE, a non-profit organization that gives environmental resources and information to local governments in central Kentucky, and U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Kentucky, announced the grant Monday in a news release.

“The wetlands will filter stormwater during flood events, provide wildlife habitats and present opportunities for education and research,” the news release states. “After construction if completed, a wetland celebration will be held to raise awareness of the project in the community.”¿

Shanda Cecil, project coordinator for Strodes Creek Conservancy, said the wetlands will be constructed on city property near the Winchester-Clark County Industrial Park, adjacent to the Town Branch Restoration Project. She said construction should start in the next few months.

“These wetlands are going to be nice because they’re going to help us further cleanse the stormwater coming from the city,” she said.

Chandler said in the news release that many counties in Kentucky have “ambitious goals” to protect and preserve their natural landscape but have insufficient funds to accomplish them.

“Thanks to Bluegrass PRIDE, Clark County will receive some of the resources and tools they need to make a difference on the grassroots level through education, innovative projects and detailed plans for the future,” he said.

The grant funded through the Appalachian Regional Commission, the news release states.
Sandy Bottoms, grants administrator at Bluegrass PRIDE, said the organization has seven appalachian counties in its service area, and the grants are intended “to help those counties do environmental improvement projects.”

Contact Katie Perkowski at kperkowski@winchestersun.com.

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