Watershed is awarded major Dodge Foundation grant

   The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation has announced a grant award totaling $275,000 to the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association for environmental and educational programs.
   The award was part of more than $5 million in grants by the Dodge Foundation to nonprofits in the state and surrounding areas.
   The Watershed’s municipal excellence program is to receive $100,000 to continue working with area municipalities to achieve proactive land-use planning that sustains and enhances community activity and environmental protection, the Watershed said.
   Another $175,000 will go toward the association’s Watershed Institute, a clearinghouse and source of technical assistance for state watershed associations. The institute offers tailored advice for organizations and provides workshops and a host of other services to the more than 40 watershed organizations in the state.
   Of the Watershed Institute’s Dodge Foundation award, about $100,000 will be used to fund a grants program to enable small grassroots watershed organizations to carry out effective programs and become financially independent, the Watershed said.
   In September, 17 organizations received Watershed Institute Grants. Applications for 2005 awards are due in July. More information about the program is available at www.thewatershed.org.