On December 16, the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership announced the recipients of the 2024-2025 Susquehanna Greenway Mini-Grant Program.

This year’s funding categories included outreach & education, wayfinding & signage, trails & active transportation, and temporary placemaking, and contributed $40,000 to some amazing projects.

Congratulations are in order to the following entities for their awarded projects on the Susquehanna Greenway, which cover a range of educational signage, programs, and recreation infrastructure.

-- Clark’s Ferry Tavern ($2,475): The Friends of Clarks Ferry Tavern were awarded funding to employ a professional designer to stage the soon-to-be restored Clarks Ferry Tavern as a Welcome and Interpretative Center in Duncannon, PA.

This center will offer information and education about the area and attract visitors to the Susquehanna and Juniata River Valleys.

Constructing a thoughtful and educational Welcome and Interpretive Center will offer a learning destination for local schools, enhance regional economic opportunities through tourism, and serve as a waypoint for hikers passing through along the Appalachian Trail.

-- Curwensville Regional Development Corporation ($10,000): One of the key missions of the Curwensville Regional Development Corporation is to invigorate the community, much like the Susquehanna Greenway revitalizes the larger region.

Funding awarded for the addition of a whitewater park will enhance the safety of the river while also improving its visual appeal, attracting visitors from beyond the area to experience this unique feature.

The purpose of this project is to remove the low head dam located in Curwensville Borough (Pee Wee’s Nest), Clearfield County, PA, and replace the structure with a public, recreational whitewater park.

-- East Donegal Township ($3,575): This awarded project will include the installation of a kiosk with signage about the Susquehanna River Trail and the Susquehanna Greenway.

Signage on the display will incorporate education of the history, nature, and recreational aspects of the river trail that was developed for the community to experience the outdoors.

The kiosk will also have an area for pamphlets with information for visitors to the area.

The township is looking at this kiosk as a focal point to an area we would like to develop with a small pavilion and a place to put machines to supply drinks for the many visitors to the park.

-- Jersey Shore Borough ($10,000): The Borough of Jersey Shore is committed to providing an attractive, secure, and sustainable environment to enhance the quality of life for our citizens.

They will work with residents, businesses, and other stakeholders to create and implement solutions to increase the livability of our Borough for everyone who lives or works there.

The sign project will provide the citizens of Jersey Shore with timely information of events and emergencies should they occur, thanks to funding from the Susquehanna Greenway Mini-Grant.

-- Londonderry Township ($4,100): Funding was awarded to Londonderry Township to host four Education and Outreach events. These community events will engage and educate the community about stormwater issues and solutions, as well as highlight local partner’s efforts for water quality, native plantings, and outdoor recreation.

Through Education and Outreach, they aim to have a more knowledgeable, diverse community who are passionate about water resources and biodiversity.

-- Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association ($7,500): LSRA recently acquired an environmental education program from Shank’s Mare Outfitters.

For 25 years, this program has served more than 30,000 students through partnerships with local school districts, businesses, and other organizations in South Central Pennsylvania.

With funding from the Susquehanna Greenway Mini-Grant, LSRA will continue the legacy of this program and expand the program’s reach, providing continued access to experiential learning opportunities.

-- North Branch Land Trust ($2,350): Through this project and funding from the Susquehanna Greenway, North Branch Land Trust will work with conservation and community partners to create and install contextual watershed educational signage at Hanover Crossings Marsh Sanctuary.

The proposed informational graphic will detail wetland habitat and ecosystem processes (and benefits!) that are occurring right in front of the visitor.

SGP applauds the many fantastic projects that were proposed and looks forward to seeing those outlined above implemented on the Susquehanna Greenway.

The Susquehanna Greenway Mini-Grant Program is financed by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnership Program, under the administration of the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

Click Here for the grant announcement.

The Susquehanna Greenway is a connected corridor of paddling, walking, and biking trails, boat launches, conserved lands, and communities that runs along the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania.

SGP works with partners to grow the network, inspire people to engage with the outdoors, and transform communities into places where people want to live, work, and explore.

Follow them on Facebook.  Click Here to sign up for email updates.

Related Articles:

-- DCNR Encourages Pennsylvanians To Trek Into 2025 During New Year's Day First Day Hikes Across The Commonwealth  [PaEN]

-- PA Natural Heritage Program Newsletter Highlights Monitoring The Upper Middle Allegheny River; Weasel Survey; Monitoring Vernal Pools; Invasive Jumping Worms; Mussel Restoration  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna Greenway Mini-Grant Program Awards $40,000 To Recreation, Signage, & Education Projects [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Jan. 16 Webinar On Forest Carbon Markets And Payment Programs Expert Panel  [PaEN]

-- Dec. 20 Take Five Fridays With Pam, PA Parks & Forests Foundation  [PaEN]

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation: Bob Ross Happy Little 5K (Virtual) Run Registration Kicks Off To Support Tree Plantings

NewsClips:

-- River Reporter: Barbara Yeaman, Founder Of Delaware Highlands Conservancy, Turns 100

-- PennLive: Capital Area Greenbelt In Harrisburg Born More Than A Century Ago

-- WVIA: There Can Only Be One: Delaware River Among 3 PA Waterways Up For State River Of The Year

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Ad Crable: Environmental Group Files Lawsuit To Ban ATVs In PA State Forests

-- LehighValleyLive.com: Lawsuit Seeks To Once Again Ban ATVs From PA State Forests

-- Tribune-Democrat: ‘Resiliency’ Project To Replace Struggling Flight 93 Memorial Tree Grove Moving Forward, US Park Service Says

-- Scranton Times: Lackawanna County Seeks Volunteers For New Park Ambassadors Program

-- TribLive: Vandalism Does $50,000 Damage To Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Vehicles In Frick Park

-- AP: American Chestnuts Are Part Of Yuletide Lore; But In The US They’ve Nearly Been Wiped Out

-- North Branch Land Trust: Jan. 18 Tree ID Hike In Forest Echo Bird Sanctuary, Luzerne County

-- Warren Times: USDA Releases More Hungry Beetles In Allegheny National Forest To Combat Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

-- Jan. 22 Webinar: How Invasive Plants Drive An Insect Invasion, Penn State Extension  [PaEN]

[Posted: December 16, 2024]

12/23/2024