CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Thirteen
organizations spanning 42 counties in North Carolina and South Carolina will receive more than
$900,000 in new grants from Duke
Energy's Water Resources Fund to support environmental and wildlife
programs.
The fund is a $10 million
multiyear commitment from Duke Energy to help local organizations
continue to protect and improve the environment, including
waterways used year-round across the Carolinas and neighboring
states.
"Water is a shared natural resource that connects us all," said
David Fountain, Duke Energy's
North Carolina president. "To keep
our waterways healthy, it takes communities coming together with a
shared commitment. We're proud to support these 13 organizations
that are implementing innovative projects to protect our water
resources."
"The museum's goal is to spark curiosity and foster a deep
appreciation for the sciences and the natural beauty of western
North Carolina," said Anna Priest, executive director of the Asheville
Museum of Science (AMOS). "AMOS' French Broad River exhibit will
offer a one-of-a-kind interactive learning experience to the
public. We thank Duke Energy for its support and are eager to
launch this project, allowing visitors to learn about the
importance of the French Broad River in the western North Carolina ecosystem."
"Our communities and regional economies are powered by the
rivers and waterways that these projects will support," said
Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, Duke Energy's
South Carolina president. "We are
committed to work alongside these 13 organizations to ensure future
generations enjoy the benefits of our waterways."
"A core goal of Kalmia Gardens is to protect and preserve
habitat," said Daniel Hill,
assistant director of Kalmia Gardens of Coker
College. "With this grant, the Gardens will not only restore
a native ecological community, but also help protect Black Creek from urban runoff."
Duke Energy has awarded more than $7
million in grants to 86 projects in the Carolinas and
Virginia since establishing the
fund in 2015. Recipients are selected by an independent body that
includes five environmental experts and two Duke Energy employees.
View an interactive map showcasing all 86 grantees at
duke-energy.com/H2O.
Additional details on the grants follow:
North Carolina
- Asheville Museum of Science (NC) French Broad River
Interactive Exhibit & Education Programming – $100,000 to construct an interactive exhibit
emulating the French Broad River to teach hydrology fundamentals
and the impact of humans along a river's course.
- Durham Soil and Water Conservation District (NC)
Bionomic Educational Training Center (BETC) – $26,500 to support a curricula-based
workforce-development training program that teaches students how to
design and install stormwater best management practices
(BMPs).
- Girl Scouts Hornet's Nest Council (NC) Wonders of Water
and Wildlife (WoWW) Lake Nature Trail – $54,750 to help construct the Lake Nature Trail,
which will increase community awareness of water resource
protection by developing project infrastructure and hands-on
learning opportunities.
- Macon Soil and Water Conservation District (NC) Macon
County Blueways Initiative – $61,625
to install five canoe launches and one stream access area at three
Macon County Recreation Parks.
- Tar River Land Conservancy (NC) Knap of Reeds Watershed
Protection Project – $100,000 to
purchase 842 acres of watershed area in the Upper Neuse River
Basin.
- Tourism-Recreation Investment Partnership for Davidson
County Foundation (NC) Daniel Boone Heritage Canoe Trail –
Wil-Cox Bridge/Trading Ford
Recreation Area – $100,000 to
increase accessibility and awareness of the Yadkin River by
improving access points and amenities.
- Town of Davidson (NC)
Davidson Elementary School Headcut Stream Stabilization –
$91,817 to protect existing habitat
and improve water quality by reducing sediment pollution downstream
and stabilizing a headcut along the South Prong West Branch of the
Rocky River.
- Town of Star (NC) Forks of Little River Passive Park
Amenities – $30,000 to improve
amenities, including construction of a picnic shelter beside the
Little River and a culvert to make the hiking trail more accessible
and safe.
- Town of Sunset Beach
(NC) Living Shoreline at Town Park – $34,950 to preserve the shoreline and provide
food and shelter for aquatic and terrestrial species through use of
riparian and marsh grasses and a "living shoreline."
South Carolina
- City of Rock Hill (SC)
Cotton Mill Stream Restoration – $100,000 to restore eroded Cotton Mill stream
banks to improve water quality and enhance the plant, fish and
wildlife habitat.
- Ducks Unlimited Inc. (SC) Santee National Wildlife
Refuge Bluff Unit – $75,000 to
enhance the publicly accessible 726-acre wetland complex, including
the Dingle Pond, at the Santee National Wildlife Refuge Bluff
Unit.
- Kalmia Gardens (of Coker
College) (SC) Stormwater Best Management Practice
Benefiting Black Creek – $77,500 to
reduce the pollution load entering Black
Creek from a 300-acre urban watershed while restoring site
ecologies and implementing a regenerative stormwater conveyance
(RSC) system.
- Open Space Institute Land Trust (SC) Black River
Conservation Corridor: Enhancing Conservation, Habitat Connectivity
& Public Access – $86,000 to
protect critical land in the Black River Conservation Corridor and
improve public access.
About Duke Energy Foundation
The Duke Energy
Foundation provides philanthropic support to address the needs of
the communities where its customers live and work. The foundation
provides more than $30 million
annually in charitable gifts. The foundation's education focus
spans kindergarten to career, particularly science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM), early childhood literacy and workforce
development. It also supports the environment and community impact
initiatives, including arts and culture.
Duke Energy employees and retirees actively contribute to their
communities as volunteers and leaders at a wide variety of
nonprofit organizations. Duke Energy is committed to building on
its legacy of community service. For more information,
visit duke-energy.com/foundation.
Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is one of the
largest energy holding companies in the
United States. Its Electric Utilities and Infrastructure
business unit serves approximately 7.5 million customers located in
six states in the Southeast and Midwest. The company's Gas
Utilities and Infrastructure business unit distributes natural gas
to approximately 1.6 million customers in the Carolinas,
Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Its Commercial Renewables business
unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across
the United States.
Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York
Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the
company is available at duke-energy.com.
The Duke Energy News Center serves as a multimedia resource for
journalists and features news releases, helpful links, photos and
videos. Hosted by Duke Energy, illumination is an online
destination for stories about people, innovations, and community
and environmental topics. It also offers glimpses into the past and
insights into the future of energy.
Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and
Facebook.
Contact: Candice Knezevic
Office: 980.373.6408 | 24-Hour: 800.559.3853
Twitter - @CandiceKnez
View original content with
multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/carolinas-waterways-to-benefit-from-more-than-900000-in-grants-from-duke-energy-300603436.html
SOURCE Duke Energy