From environmental justice advocates to business entrepreneurs, school students to senior citizens, many Pennsylvanians work to protect the air, land and waters of the commonwealth.

To honor their efforts, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is looking for applications for the 2017 Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence."These awards bring much-deserved recognition to environmental stewards who, project by project, improve Pennsylvania," said DEP Acting Secretary Patrick McDonnell. "Whether they're boots on the ground or creators of innovative solutions that help lead us in new directions in environmental protection, their work greatly benefits all of us in the commonwealth."Individuals and organizations are invited to apply for the 2017 awards for projects completed between Aug. 1, 2015, and July 31, 2016.The awards are open to all individuals, whether a project leader or participant, and to all nonprofits, businesses, farms, government agencies and educational institutions. Individuals may also nominate someone they know.The application deadline is 5

p.m.Jan. 3. Applications must be emailed to RA-EPgovenviroawards@pa.gov.Complete project guidelines and applications for the awards can be found at

http://bit.ly/2fJi1BP.Projects are evaluated on the basis of nine criteria: degree of environmental protection, public service, pollution prevention, climate change, sustainability, partnership, economic impact, innovative technology and environmental education and outreach. A project doesn't need to meet all criteria to merit an award.The Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence have been presented since 1996.