On January 11, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced an investment of $3.2 million to help address priority trail gaps and support ATV/Snowmobile projects in the Commonwealth.

The grants are made possible through federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money appropriated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s 2022-23 budget, and other federal and state funds.

“In addition to many other benefits, trails contribute to the vitality of our communities by making them places where people want to live and locate a business,” Dunn said. “They are a perfect use of the federal recovery funds intended to help our economy rebuild after the pandemic and we worked hard to get them on the ground quickly.”

The grants help the Commonwealth implement its vision of having a trail within 10 minutes of every Pennsylvanian by closing priority trail gaps.

The seven trail grants totaling about $3 million being awarded include:

-- Construction of 4.45 miles of new trail and rehabilitation of half a mile;

-- Grants to Allentown, Hanover Township, and the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor that will complete a 2.75-mile connection of the D&L Trail, a priority trail gap through the Lehigh Valley;

-- Construction of 1.5 miles of the Knox and Kane Trail and a “Four Seasons” trailhead in Forest County;

-- Construction of 0.75 miles of the Chester Creek Trail in the City of Chester, Delaware County;

-- Design for 0.7 miles of the Cobbs Creek Trail in Philadelphia; and

-- A study of the feasibility of a 2-mile extension to the Green River Trail in Greene County.

ATV/Snowmobile

Investments from the ATV and Snowmobile restricted accounts generated from registration fees also are being made in three projects:

-- Pennsylvania Snowmobile Statewide Association, $52,000 for a mini-grant program;

-- Treasure Lake Property Owners Association, Clearfield County, $73,500, for a master plan for an ATV trailhead at Treasure Lake Cayman Landing campground; and

-- Ulysses Township, Potter County, $50,000 for the Old Route 6 ATV/Snowmobile bridge over Pine Creek.

Visit the DCNR website for a complete list of grants by county.

The grants are administered by the DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2).

This C2P2 special fall grant opportunity highlights helping underserved communities, closing trail gaps, supporting an invigorated focus on the outdoor recreation sector, and planting trees along streams and in communities.

New Grant Rounds Opening

The 2023 grant round will open on January 17 and close April 5.

The grant programs opening include-- Community Recreation & Conservation Planning; Community & Watershed Forestry; Land Acquisition & Conservation; Motorized Trails; Non-Motorized Trails; Park Rehabilitation & Development; and State & Regional Partnerships.

The next ATV/Snowmobile grant round will open February 1 and close March 31.

Visit DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) webpage for more information.

Visit Explore PA Trails and Get Outdoors PA for recreation areas near you.

For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog,  Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

Related Articles:

-- Gov.-Elect Shapiro To Nominate Rich Negrin For DEP, Retain Cindy Dunn At DCNR and Russell Redding At Agriculture [PaEN]

-- DCNR Outlines Accomplishments During Wolf Administration  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Announces $19.4 Million In Grants To Underserved/Distressed Communities, Partnerships To Improve Recreation, Community Revitalization Efforts Across PA; New Grant Rounds Opening Jan. 17   [PaEN]

-- DCNR Announces $11.8 Million Investment To Plant Trees, Buffers, Meadows To Improve Water Quality, Climate Resiliency; New Grant Rounds Opening Jan. 17  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Announces $3.2 Million Investment For Trail Gaps, ATV/Snowmobile Projects; New Grant Rounds Opening Jan. 17  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Honors Passerby Who Saved Man From Drowning At Codorus State Park In York County  [PaEN]

-- DCNR State Parks Issues First Environmental Education Update Of 2023  [PaEN]

-- The BURG: Change Agent: Meet Greg Czarnecki, A Man On A Mission To Impact Climate Change, One Pennsylvania At A Time

-- Game Commission Now Accepting Orders From Landowners For Tree & Shrub Seedlings To Improve Habitat  [PaEN]

[Posted: January 11, 2023]

1/16/2023