HARRISBURG PA – Pennsylvania communities will benefit from a total of 24 state grants that amount to nearly $8.2 million, state officials said Wednesday (Nov. 13, 2024). Funding for four projects affect local and area residents, they add.
The money was presented by the Community Conservation Partnerships Program of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The grants benefit:
Upper Pottsgrove Township is being awarded $61,700 to continue improvements at Hollenbach Park. The latest money is in addition to $200,000 provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development earlier this year.
The project is currently in its engineering phase. It is scheduled to include installation of a 1-mile ADA-accessible loop trail, new paved ADA-accessible parking spaces, project acknowledgment signs, and site amenities for visitors. The township hopes to begin construction in 2025.
Upper Providence Township is receiving $362,500 to support development of its Taylor Park. Planned work includes construction of an internal loop trail and parking area, ensuring ADA accessibility, adding landscaping, and installing signage, and other site improvements.
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is slated to receive $1 million for support efforts to coordinate urban and community forestry initiatives across portions of southeast Pennsylvania. Activities include tree planting and stewardship programs in parts of Montgomery County. Its intent is to foster environmental sustainability and community resilience.
Pottstown-Based Schuylkill River Greenways Also Gained
Schuylkill River Greenways (SRG), headquartered in Pottstown Borough, says it also will receive a significant grant from the department’s partnership program.
Its award of $500,000 will go toward construction of a more than 4-mile section of the Schuylkill River Trail that connects St. Claire to Frackville in Schuylkill County. The same project also received $1.5 million in earlier funding from the Transportation Alternatives Set Aside program of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Work on the project “has already begun,” SRG reports. It notes that “this section of the trail will incorporate the newly installed rehabilitated bowstring truss bridge in the Coal Creek Plaza. Additionally, it will be “collocated and adjacent to a section of (all-terrain vehicle) trail.”
The second grant award, of $435,000, came through the separate Heritage Partnerships Program of the National Park Service. It is expected to pay for further work on the Schuylkill River Trail, improvement of public access to the river itself, and a variety of programs designed to connect residents and visitors to both the river and trail. It’s likely to be a focus of the Schuylkill River Sojourn in June 2025.
SRG publicly thanked state 124th House District Rep. Jamie Barton, 123rd House District Rep. Tim Twardzik, and 29th District state Sen. Dave Argall for their support in securing the money.
Municipalities, Conservancies, Non-Profits Qualify
Lower Providence Township will get $242,900 for rehabilitation and further development of its Redtail Park. The parking area there will be renovated, a comfort station will be built, pedestrian walkways added, and an internal loop trail will be developed with improvements that ensure ADA accessibility, utility installations, and enhanced landscaping.
The department says its partnerships program provides grants and technical assistance to municipalities, land conservancies, and non-profit organizations. They are intended to help to plan, acquire, and develop recreational, park, and conservation facilities. Supported project areas include greenways, trails, watersheds, heritage sites, and critical habitats.
State 147th House Rep. Donna Scheuren, and 150th House District Rep. Joe Webster, separately announced the grant awards for their districts.
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