Tourism is a priority in Carbon County.

That's why county officials created the tourism grant fund after they implemented the 3 percent hotel tax in February 2007.During the county commissioners' meeting on Thursday, the board approved the release of funds under a memorandum of understanding between Carbon County and the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau that supports the grant initiatives in Carbon County.The memorandum authorizes the release of $49,700 from the Hotel Room Excise Tax fund for the county's tourism grant.A total of 17 nonprofit organization projects will benefit from the ongoing grant during this round of funding. The county distributes the grant multiple times a year.This grant round's recipients are:• Bach and Handel Chorale Inc.: $250 for chorale operations.• Jim Thorpe Commerce Association, doing business as Jim Thorpe Tourism Agency: $1,200 for the redesign, production and rental of Adams Outdoor Billboard.• Jim Thorpe Commerce Association, doing business as Jim Thorpe Tourism Agency: $1,500 for the website redesign, maintenance and hosting.• Carbon Chamber and Economic Development: $26,000 for marketing on tourism.• Carbon County Lion/Lioness Fair Association: $2,000 for the Carbon County Fair.• Concourse Club of Palmerton: $500 for the Concourse Club Art Show.• Lake Harmony Volunteer Fire Company: $6,000 for hosting the 2015 Pennsylvania Firemen's Convention and Parade.• Lansford Alive: $250 for the Lansford Downtown Fall Vendor/Craft Fair and music.• Lehighton Borough: $2,500 for the 150th anniversary celebration.• Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center: $500 for the House and Garden Tours of Old Mauch Chunk.• Mauch Chunk Rod and Gun Club: $500 for Lehigh River trout stocking.• Old Jail Museum: $1,000 for 2015 marketing.• Panther Creek Valley Foundation, doing business as the No. 9 Coal Mine and Museum: $3,500 for advertising for the annual Coal Miner's Heritage Festival and entertainment.• St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee: $3,000 for 2015 parade expenses.• Summit Hill Heritage Center: $200 for advertising/logo/marketing project.• Ukrainian Homestead of ODWU: $300 for the Ukrainian Folk Festival.• Weissport Recreation Committee: $500 for the Redneck Festival.To date, Carbon County has distributed approximately $750,000 to nonprofit organizations to help promote tourism.The county receives a total of 50 percent of the hotel tax. Of the 50 percent, the county receives 20 percent, which it uses for improvements to Mauch Chunk Lake Park; 28 percent is put into the grant fund; and 2 percent goes toward administration fees.The remaining 50 percent goes to the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau.The Carbon County Hotel Excise Tax, which includes a 3 percent tax on room rentals in hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and resorts in the county, was signed by the commissioners in 2007.The tax had been under negotiation since 2004, when commissioners voted down Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau's original proposal of a 20 percent revenue return on the money the tax would generate. They eventually negotiated a 50 percent revenue return to the county.To apply for a grant, visit carboncountypa.org/pages/HotelTaxGrant.