CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning
May 1, 2017, qualifying government
agencies and nonprofit organizations are encouraged to submit
applications for Duke Energy habitat enhancement programs in
North Carolina and South Carolina.
Approximately $4.66 million in
funding is available for projects in 2017.
Projects eligible for funding include a wide range of categories
− from planting native shoreline vegetation, constructing osprey
platforms and wood duck boxes, and installing fish attractors to
purchasing property and conservation easements that permanently
preserve rare and unique habitats.
Over the past several years, approximately $1.9 million in funding has been awarded for
enhancement projects for the Catawba-Wateree and Keowee-Toxaway
habitat enhancement programs. Individual project awards typically
range from $10,000 to $50,000.
Those interested in seeking funds are encouraged to complete
applications online by the July 31,
2017, deadline. Approved projects will receive funds
beginning in the fall of 2017.
Catawba-Wateree Habitat Enhancement Program
Qualifying government agencies and nonprofit organizations
wanting to enhance, create and protect fish and wildlife habitats
along the Catawba-Wateree River are encouraged to submit
applications for grants provided by Duke Energy's Catawba-Wateree
Habitat Enhancement Program (CWHEP).
For 2017, a total of $1.87 million
is available for Catawba-Wateree enhancement projects located in
North Carolina. Funds totaling
$1.49 million are available for
projects located in South
Carolina.
Since 2007, about $1.8 million has
been awarded to fund Catawba-Wateree projects ranging from
construction of waterfowl nesting platforms and boxes to the
creation of large underwater reefs for fish habitat.
CWHEP is a cooperative effort by Duke Energy, the North Carolina
Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and the South Carolina
Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).
The program is funded annually from a fee charged to individuals
and residential marina developers seeking permits to build piers on
the Catawba-Wateree lakes. The Foundation for the Carolinas
administers the funds.
Those interested in seeking funds from CWHEP this year are
encouraged to complete an application online at Catawba-Wateree
Habitat Enhancement Program.
Keowee-Toxaway Habitat Enhancement Program
The Keowee-Toxaway Habitat Enhancement Program (KTHEP) funds
projects that create, enhance and protect fish and wildlife
habitats along the shores of Lake Keowee and Lake Jocassee, as well
as in their watersheds.
For 2017, available funds total $1.3
million. Since 2015, the first year of implementation, the
KTHEP has funded projects totaling approximately $140,000 to support fish and avian habitat
improvements.
The KTHEP was formed as a result of the Keowee-Toxaway
Relicensing Agreement Duke Energy entered into with 16 other
stakeholder organizations during the Keowee-Toxaway Hydroelectric
Project Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicensing
process.
The program is funded annually from a fee charged to individuals
and developers seeking lake use permits for projects on the
Keowee-Toxaway lakes, as well as by contributions from Duke Energy.
The Foothills Community Foundation administers the funds.
Those interested in seeking funds this year are encouraged to
complete an application online at Keowee-Toxaway Habitat
Enhancement Program.
Duke Energy Carolinas
Duke Energy Carolinas owns nuclear, coal-fired, natural gas,
renewables and hydroelectric generation. That diverse fuel mix
provides approximately 19,700 megawatts of owned electric capacity
to about 2.5 million customers in a 24,000-square-mile service area
of North Carolina and South Carolina.
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: Kim Crawford
24-Hour media line: 800.559.3853
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energy-funds-available-for-fish-and-wildlife-habitat-enhancement-projects-along-waterways-in-nc-and-sc-300447240.html
SOURCE Duke Energy