·         Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage ( Manatee County) – The FISH Preserve is a community project designed to protect and preserve approximately 95 acres of shoreline located along Sarasota Bay. Grant award: $10,000

·         The FloridaAquarium (Hillsborough County) – The Science Education at Sea statewide teacher education program is designed to provide middle and high school teachers with comprehensive training to more effectively teach students about aquatic and coastal resources. Grant award: $5,000

·         East Bay Little League (Hillsboro County) – The East Bay Little League is in the process of restoring, repairing and building new recreational facilities to accommodate the growing number of youth participating in Little League in the East Bay area. Grant award: $5,000

·         Allen Broussard Conservancy (Osceola County) – The Camp Site for Environmental Education & Team Building will provide a safe, centrally located recreational facility that will teach the value of conservation and teamwork. Grant award: $5,000

·         HELP of FortMeade (Polk County) – The Teen Outreach Program is an after-school program designed to provide recreational and educational activities for youths ages 12-18 in the Ft. Meade area. Grant award: $17,000

·         Suncoast Earth Force (Hillsboro County) – The Earth Force After School program uses environmental education as its platform, engaging youth in leadership skills, civic responsibility and increasing academic skills through the use of hands-on environmental projects. Grant award: $4,500

·         Lake Region Audubon Society (Polk County) – The Street Audubon Center Improvement Project was created to help repair, renovate and modernize the Street Nature Center, helping expand the Center into a regional environmental center specializing in lakes and wetland education. Grant award: $3,500

The Gulfstream Environmental & Recreational Trust program was created in 2000 to distribute at least $350,000 during the first five years of pipeline operations to benefit communities near the pipeline route. In 2001, during the inaugural year of the program, more than $100,000 was distributed.

Written grant applications were accepted from Jan. 1 to Sept. 15, 2002. An Advisory Resource Network consisting of environmental experts met in October to determine which projects would receive funding and how the dollars would be distributed. Grants were awarded based on community need, environmental benefit and ability to complete the project as proposed. The application deadline for the 2003 Gulfstream Environmental & Recreational Trust program is Sept. 15, 2003. Applications are available on the Gulfstream web site at www.gulfstreamgas.com.

Placed into service in May 2002, Gulfstream Natural Gas System, L.L.C. is a 581-mile pipeline system with the capacity to deliver 1.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas each day to serve Florida’s growing energy needs. The pipeline is a joint development between Williams (NYSE:WMB) and Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK).