Preservation and conservation grants available in Richland County

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Grants worth up to $50,000 are available for projects to protect and preserve Richland County’s history and land.

The deadline to apply for up to $50,000 in historic preservation grants and up to $20,000 in community preservation grants is Feb. 5. Criteria and applications are available online.

Nonprofits, neighborhood organizations, governmental agencies, commercial entities and other organizations can apply for the grants, which require a 20% match.

Historic preservation grants fund educational and research projects and defray costs of preserving or restoring historic buildings and cemeteries. Previous projects receiving grants include a restored pressed-metal ceiling at Columbia’s Ebenezer Lutheran Chapel, historic home plaques in the Hollywood and Rose Hill communities, interpretive signs for Olympia Mill Common, oral histories in the Waverly and Lower Richland communities, and new roof for J.A. Byrd Mercantile Store in Eastover.

Community conservation grants fund the building of trails as well as water quality improvement, green infrastructure and environmental education projects. Past grant recipients include boardwalk construction at Wateree Retreat Center in Hopkins, rerouting of a mountain bike trail at Harbison State Forest, vegetable and pollinator gardens, and construction of the Kinsler Creek Greenway in the Congaree Vista.

Applications may encounter delays, as county staff is limited because of COVID-19, according to news release from Richland County.

For more information, contact Quinton Epps with Richland County Conservation at epps.quinton@richlandcountysc.gov or 803-576-2082.