Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is pleased to announce a call for applications for the 2016 Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini-Grant Program.  Applications will be accepted from December 4 to February 4.

The Lehigh Valley Greenways mini-grants are intended to inspire collaborative approaches to implement ready-to-go projects that protect and promote the natural resources of the Lehigh Valley and advance the goals of Lehigh Valley Greenways: land conservation and restoration, outdoor recreation and trail connections, community revitalization, and local education and outreach.

Priorities for the 2016 mini-grant round are:

-- Promote the region’s natural areas and land/water trails through programming and informational signage in order to increase appreciation of natural and cultural resources and improve public health

-- Advance land conservation of the Lehigh Valley’s critical landscapes

-- Implement ecological restoration and stream habitat improvements

-- Host educational events, trainings and workshops to advance the goals of Lehigh Valley Greenways

-- (Municipalities) Adopt model ordinances and/or an official map to protect natural resources and improve bicycle/pedestrian connections

Eligible applicants include municipalities, municipal agencies, county conservation districts, educational institutions (colleges, universities, school districts), non-profit organizations with tax-exempt 501c3 status and registered with PA Bureau of Charitable Organizations, and D&L Trail Alliance members.

Projects must be located within Lehigh or Northampton County or within one mile of the D&L Trail in Bucks County.

Please note that projects along the D&L Trail in Carbon and Luzerne Counties should apply to Pocono Forest and Waters Conservation Landscape for mini-grant funding.

For the current application cycle, $77,000 will be awarded in April 2016 for single-year projects to start and end between May 1, 2016 and July 31, 2017.

Grant requests should be a minimum of $1,000 and maximum of $10,000 with total project costs at least double the grant request. Mini-grants must be matched with cash and/or eligible in-kind contributions at a minimum ratio of 1:1.

Documents for a successful grant application are on the D&L Website under Documents/Other Publications or at these links: Mini-Grant Guidelines and Instructions and Mini-Grant Application.

The grant awards are part of Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape program, administered by D&L and funded by a grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund.

Lehigh Valley Greenways mini-grant funds may not be used as match for other DCNR funded grant projects.

Lehigh Valley Greenways is one of seven Conservation Landscapes supported by DCNR and includes more than 20 organizations and municipal partners in Lehigh and Northampton Counties dedicated to the conservation of and connection to our natural resources.

Click Here for Mini-Grant Guidelines and Instructions.  Click Here for the application.

For more information on Lehigh Valley Greenways and the mini-grant program, please contact Claire Wildermuth Sadler at 610-923-3548 ext 226.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates on the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor.

12/7/2015