The Department of Environmental Quality has selected eighteen organizations to receive 2009 Volunteer River, Stream, and Creek Cleanup Program grants totaling $29,779.90.

Michigan's VRSCCP provides grants in the range of $500 to $5,000 to local units of government to help clean up rivers, streams, and creeks to improve Michigan's waters. Local units of government often partner with nonprofit organizations or other volunteer groups to carry out the cleanups. Volunteer stream cleanup activities include the removal of primarily human sources of trash and debris from the water and from the top of the stream banks to below or at the waters edge.

The groups selected to receive funding in 2009 for their projects, include:

- Chesaning Area Parks and Recreation Commission, "1st Annual
  Chesaning Township Shiawassee River Cleanup" - $1,795;
- City of Hudson, "Clean the Bean 2" - $2,125;
- Isabella County Community Development Department, "Chippewa River
  Cleanup" - $1,965;
- Detroit Area Council Boy Scouts of America, "River Clean Up" -
  $2,445;
- Dearborn Heights Watershed Stewards Commission, "Ecorse Creek
  Clean-Up Dearborn Heights 2009" - $2,134.90;
- Wexford Conservation District, "Clam River Cleanup Project" - $775;
- Charter Township of Clinton, "Clinton River Cleanup at Budd, Canal,
  Woodrow W. Wood & George George Parks" - $1,200;
- South Branch Township, "AuSable River Fall Cleanup" - $2,324;
- City of Allegan, "Downtown Allegan Kalamazoo River Clean Up" -
  $1,475;
- City of Charlotte, "Charlotte's 5th Annual River Cleanup" - $682;
- Saginaw Conservation District, "Cass River Clean-Up Project" - $2,064;
- City of Eaton Rapids, "Eaton Rapids Gives the Grand a Hand River
  Clean Up" - $950;
- City of Battle Creek, "Global Citizens River Conservation Day" - $1,000;
- Waterford Township, "Clinton River Clean Up" - $1,190;
- City of Grand Rapids Environmental Services Department, "Mayors'
  Annual Grand River Clean Up" - $3,600;
- Grand Traverse Conservation District, "5th Annual Boardman River
  Clean Sweep" - $1,105;
- Shiawassee County Health Department Environmental Health Division,
  "12th Annual Shiawassee River Cleanup" - $1,800;
- City of Monroe, "River Raisin Clean-Up in City of Monroe" - $1,150.

Michigan's VRSCCP began in 1998 and has been funded through various public acts. Since 2001, DEQ funds for this program have originated from the sale of the State's Water Quality Protection license plates. Grants are administered by the Great Lakes Commission, under contract with the DEQ. These grants help foster local stewardship and sense of community as to the protection of Michigan's waters.

Additional information on the VRSCCP is available online at http://www.glc.org/streamclean/ or by contacting Laura Kaminski, Great Lakes Commission, at (734) 971-9135 or laurak@glc.org; or John Wuycheck, Surface Water Assessment Section, Water Bureau, DEQ, at (517) 335-4195 or wuycheckj@michigan.gov.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised April 23, 2009 by Pat Watson