The vision of a trail connecting Erie and Pittsburgh is a little closer to reality. The Erie to Pittsburgh Trail Alliance received funding from DCNR for trail development, capacity building, and training. Trail groups learned sustainable self-building techniques and how to leverage volunteer time to secure more funding. Funding came from the Environmental Stewardship Fund. The Erie to […]
Making Local Watershed Protection Possible
The Environmental Stewardship Fund provides funding for watershed specialists in every county in Pennsylvania. The two-year grants enable conservation districts to plan watershed restoration and stream improvement projects with the knowledge that funding for these key positions is secure. “Local efforts are absolutely essential to the Growing Greener partnership,” said Ed Rendell, former governor of […]
Kiski–Conemaugh Stream Team
The Kiski–Conemaugh Stream Team was formed in 1998 to address concerns raised in the Kiski–Conemaugh River Basin Conservation Plan. The plan identified the need for a water-monitoring program to collect baseline data on over 100 abandoned mine discharges in the Kiski–Conemaugh River Basin, which encompasses portions of Armstrong, Cambria, Indiana, Somerset, and Westmoreland Counties. The […]
Protecting Rock Point
In 2007, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) awarded the Wild Waterways Conservancy (WWC) a Growing Greener II grant to use towards acquiring 86 acres of land at the confluence of Connoquenessing Creek and the Beaver River in Lawrence and Beaver counties. Other partners— including Lawrence County, Wild Waterways Conservancy, and the […]
Improving Shades Beach Park Playground
In 1983 when Harborcreek Township took control of Shades Beach Park, formerly owned by Erie County, the park was in bad shape. There was no easy access to Lake Erie. There were few pavilions. The roads were gravel. Since then, Environmental Stewardship Fund grants, combined with cooperative efforts between the township, parks, community planners, the […]
