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 […]
Success Stories
Restoring Warrior’s Mark Run
Warrior’s Mark Run is a stream in Huntingdon County (classified as a high-quality coldwater fishery) that has been polluted by grazing cows from nearby farms; cow manure overloads the water with nutrients, disrupting aquatic ecosystems and killing fish and other animals. Funding from the Environmental Stewardship Fund enabled the Huntingdon County Conservation District (HCCD) […]
Improving Farms in McKean County
From 2012 to 2018, the McKean County Conservation District used grants from the Environmental Stewardship Fund to implement best management practices (BMPs) on 11 family farms in the area. The BMPs have helped reduce pollution and sedimentation in nearby tributaries to the Allegheny River by as much as 50%. These projects included: Stream crossings […]
Protecting 1,600 Acres Along Blue Mountain
In 2018, a grant from the Environmental Stewardship Fund helped The Nature Conservancy (TNC) permanently conserve 1,600 acres in Perry County that was in danger of being turned into a housing development. The property is located along Blue Mountain, which stretches across Pennsylvania from the Maryland border to New Jersey. The iconic ridgeline is […]
Bliss Bank Mine Reclamation
Decades ago, the Blue Coal Corporation used Bliss Bank to store mine waste. After the area was abandoned, it sat idle for years, a toxic eyesore of piled mine waste and pools of stagnant water. The neglected site was a hotbed for illegal activity, including trash dumping and ATV trespassing. Runoff from the site also […]