The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $44,477 to environmental education projects at four Nevada organizations.

"These grants represent our smartest investment in the future," EPA official Wayne Nastri said in a statement Friday. "We should all support efforts to educate students and communities about environmental issues that affect our lives."

The grants, awarded under the National Environmental Education Act, provide funding to projects addressing significant environmental issues. The organizations contribute matching funds.

The largest Nevada recipient was Environmental Leadership, which received $18,318 to provide, among other things, workshops and classroom presentations on waste and recycling for more than 900 students in northern Nevada.

The University of Nevada, Reno, received $12,704 to help fund the Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition, a partnership of 24 agencies, schools and research organizations that is leading an education effort about declining water quality in Lake Tahoe.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife received $10,000 for its Service-Learning Environmental Conservation Education program, and the North Tahoe Middle School received $3,455 for a program raising awareness about water quality among students in California and Nevada.

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On the Net:

EPA environmental education programs: http://www.epa.gov/enviroed