BANGOR – Agriculture Acting Under Secretary for Rural Development Gilbert Gonzalez announced before a gathering of more than 130 area school children that $7.6 million in federal funding has been earmarked to preserve the Penobscot River.

USDA officials visited with students at the Penobscot County Conservation Association facility in Brewer where students learned about preservation and engaged in fun and educational activities involving the Penobscot River. Children from the Washington Street School in Brewer, and Eddington Elementary School in Eddington, were engaged by speakers from the Maine Discovery Museum, Atlantic Salmon Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Penobscot Nation.

“This exciting funding announcement is important to Maine’s environment as it will support efforts to keep our rivers clean for future generations,” said Gonzalez. “The children who join us today are our future and educating them about the importance of preservation is essential to maintaining a healthy earth tomorrow.”

USDA Rural Development in Maine has invested more than $20 million in preserving the Penobscot River since 2000 and is committed to the future of rural communities.

The event included a presentation on sun safety by Eddington Elementary School’s third grade class; activities such as building a boat from recycled materials from the Maine Discovery Museum; salmon migration from the Atlantic Salmon Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and a presentation on the history and culture of the Penobscot River by the Penobscot Nation. The children also engaged in an art contest, What a Clean River Means to Me. The Grand Prize winner was Emma Nichols from Washington Street School in Brewer. Other winners included Abby Hallahan and Jake Qualheim, also from Washington Street School; Anna Boyle and Jebediah Murphy-Dulac from Miles Lane School in Bucksport; and Carli Poisson from the Eddington Elementary School.

Seedlings donated by the International Paper Company were given to the children at the event.

The event was a joint effort of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, and Rural Development. Each agency works toward preserving the earth and environment in Maine through a variety of programs and mission areas.

USDA Rural Development funding of $7.6 million to preserve the river was awarded to the city of Brewer in the amount of $2,488,000; town of Bucksport in the amount of $2,990,000; Lincoln Sanitary District in the amount of $610,000; and city of Old Town in the amount of $1,515,500.

Other USDA Rural Development investments in the environment included funds for the town of Farmington in the amount of $343,000; Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation in the amount of $1,000,000; Solid Waste Management Grants to Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments in the amount of $117,000, Hancock County Planning Commission in the amount of $44,600, Kennebec Valley Council of Governments in the amount of $67,500, and Northern Maine Development Commission in the amount of $100,000.

Further information on rural programs is available at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov, or call 990-9160.