PA Environment Digest Blog: Rothrock Trail Alliance Awarded $500,000 Grant To Improved Recreation Access To Rothrock State Forest In Centre County

On November 19, the Rothrock Trail Alliance announced it was recently awarded a $500,000 DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Grant for further development of trails within Rothrock State Forest.

The grant was awarded to Rothrock Trail Alliance, a committee within ClearWater Conservancy, to carry out the next phase of their trail development plan.

The funds will be used to build approximately 11 miles of natural surface, single-track shared-use trails for hikers, bikers, and equestrians.

More information about the trail development plan can be viewed on the RTA website.

“Improved access deep into Rothrock is a huge gift to our community,” said Elizabeth Crisfield, Executive Director of ClearWater Conservancy. “Rothrock Trail Alliance created these ambitious proposals to improve trails deep into the forest so all of us can find that peace of mind that comes from fresh air and exertion.

“The ClearWater community is grateful that this project was included in this year's Community Conservation Partnerships Program,” she added.

“The grant from DCNR will allow RTA to implement Phase II of our trail development plan,” said Rothrock Trail Alliance Chair, Jay Ziegler. “Specifically, we’ll be picking up where Phase I ended, creating a connection from the Hubler Gap area to Whipple Dam.”

Generous donations from local individuals and businesses, as well as $50,000 from Happy Valley Adventure Bureau and the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County, provided the 20% matching funds needed to secure the grant from DCNR.

RTA anticipates that the Phase II work will begin in Summer 2025.

The Rothrock Trail Alliance was created in 2018 to engage in and support efforts that advance trail infrastructure and promote positive experiences for all trail users.

Resource Link:

-- DCNR Announces $79.4 Million In Grants To Support 307 Recreation, Land Conservation, Tree Planting Projects Across Pennsylvania; Next Grant Round Opens Jan. 21 [PaEN]

-- Pine Creek Headwaters Protection Group Update: Industrial Shale Gas Development In Tioga State Forest Prioritizes Industry Profit Over Constitutional Mandate To Preserve, Protect State Forest Lands [PaEN]

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation: New Friends Of Chapman State Park Group Formed In Warren County [PaEN]

-- DCNR’s Square Timber Wild Area In Cameron County Inducted Into The Old-Growth Forest Network [PaEN]

-- Rothrock Trail Alliance Awarded $500,000 Grant To Improved Recreation Access To Rothrock State Forest In Centre County [PaEN]

-- Berks Nature: New Data On The Annual Economic Value Of Nature Documents $853 Million In Savings, $938 Million In Outdoor Recreation Benefits To Citizens of Berks County [PaEN]

-- Wildlands Conservancy Opens 187 Acre Black River Sanctuary In Lehigh County [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Firefly Festival Lottery For 2025 Festival & Glow & Know Campouts Will Start January 1 [PaEN]

-- Federal Highway Administration, Fish & Wildlife Service Host Dec. 4 Online Pollinator Conservation And Transportation Symposium [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Reading Eagle: Berks Nature Emphasizes Community Planning During State Of The Environment Breakfast