In honor of the 39th Earth Day, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Columbia Gas of Maryland, wholly-owned subsidiaries of NiSource Inc., have awarded grants worth more than $23,000 to 10 organizations throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland through the NiSource Environmental Challenge Fund.

A local Environmental Challenge Fund Advisory Board, comprised of Columbia Gas employees and members of the environmental community, re-viewed and selected the winning proposals from grant requests submitted earlier this year.

Among the organizations which have been awarded an Environmental Challenge Fund grant this year are the George’s Creek Watershed Association, Barton, which received $3,300 for its Western Maryland Reforestation and Riparian Nursery Project and the Savage River Watershed Association, Frostburg, received $3,000 for its project, Battling Exotic Invasive Species in the Savage River Watershed.