Pontchartrain Conservancy

Pontchartrain Conservancy is a non-profit organization based in Metairie, Louisiana, registered with SAM.gov since January 4, 2006, that provides environmental stewardship, educational programming, and community science initiatives focused on the Lake Pontchartrain Basin and surrounding Louisiana waterways. The organization works to protect water quality, reduce marine debris, support coastal resilience, and advance environmental literacy among underserved communities in Southeast Louisiana through a combination of federal contract and grant-funded activities that emphasize community engagement, STEM education, and habitat restoration.

Pontchartrain Conservancy has received limited federal contract awards, with its primary contract work consisting of a small-value Purchase Order from the U.S. Coast Guard in Fiscal Year 2021. This contract, valued at $6,136.00 and completed on September 30, 2021, supported water sampling activities. This minimal contract footprint indicates that Pontchartrain Conservancy's primary engagement with federal agencies occurs through grant mechanisms rather than traditional procurement relationships.

Pontchartrain Conservancy's federal grant portfolio reflects substantial engagement across multiple federal agencies and demonstrates a comprehensive approach to environmental protection and community development. The organization has served as a prime grantee for five major project grants funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Recent NOAA grants include a $793,000 Cooperative Agreement (awarded November 1, 2025, through October 31, 2028) for marine debris removal and trash collection device installation in New Orleans waters, which will support at least 18 jobs and remove over 3,000 pounds of trash while protecting critical pumping stations and reducing flooding risks. The organization also received a PHMSA Project Grant (October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026) to develop educational materials and training on marine pipeline safety, including a "how-to guide" for marine 811 notifications, safety checklists, in-person training sessions, and online training in English and Spanish for 500 individuals. NOAA also funded FLOW initiatives focused on watershed curriculum development for underserved rural and urban communities, including a project in Plaquemines Parish and St. John the Baptist Parish designed to reach up to 1,000 students through teacher cohorts that receive STEM kits and $1,000 stipends upon completion. The NSF-funded "Communities Investigating Their Environment" project (October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2028) addresses community science-based flood monitoring in Southeast Louisiana communities disproportionately impacted by climate change, with partnership from the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley, and Louisiana Sea Grant. An EPA Environmental Justice Cooperative Agreement (June 1, 2022, through May 31, 2024) supported training for students and teachers in New Orleans East to design, implement, and monitor small-scale restoration projects that manage stormwater and improve water quality. Additionally, Pontchartrain Conservancy serves as a sub-grantee on multiple federal awards, including sub-grants from the University of New Orleans Research and Technology Foundation for water quality monitoring and STEM education engagement of at least 1,200 students; from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for coastal resilience planning and habitat creation for migratory avian species; from Louisiana State University for marine debris collection protocols and training through the Consider Litter Project, as well as microbial source tracking activities in Tangipahoa Parish to address impaired waters; and from Homeland Security & Emergency Management. This extensive grant portfolio demonstrates Pontchartrain Conservancy's expertise in environmental science, community engagement, educational program development, and coastal resilience initiatives that serve vulnerable and underserved populations across Louisiana.