PA Environment Digest Blog: PA Environmental Council Announces $30,000 In Water Trail Mini-Grants To 8 Groups

On January 7, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council announced the award of $30,000 in Water Trail Mini-grants to 8 groups to promote and maintain Pennsylvania Water Trails.

The grants were awarded to--

-- Delaware Riverkeeper Network was awarded $4,135 to partner with the Pottstown NAACP for a 4-hour paddling program designed to remove barriers to participation as it both lifts up historic contributions by Black Americans in the development of the Schuylkill River and raises awareness of the River’s ecological health.

DRN will make this program as accessible as possible offering a free-to-all, guided learn-to-paddle experience that is thoughtfully-designed to foster confidence paddling skills and a sense of belonging in outdoor recreation.

Further this event will raise awareness of river-related contributions Black Americans have made for the community.

With these design features, this paddle will help ensure that any member of the community feels welcome, can more equitably share in the benefits that accrue from accessing Schuylkill River recreation, and will gain the confidence to participate in future trips independently.

-- Experience Armstrong, the new Manager of the Middle Allegheny Water Trail, was awarded $820 for initial planning efforts to revitalize this Water Trail including evaluating existing access and signage, creating an updated Water Trail Map, and exploring regional partnerships to connect the Water Trails to nearby land-based trails, such as the Armstrong Trail and the North Country Trail.

The project will foster opportunities for outdoor recreation while driving community engagement, tourism, and economic development.

-- Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism was awarded $1,500 to print the Oil Creek Water Trail Map which will map will provide important information to Water Trail users, such as the location of a dam on the creek and its portage, public access areas, parking, amenities, and historical and other cultural points of interest.

The map will be printed on water-resistant paper to help reduce waste and will be available to the public at various locations throughout the region.

-- Riverways Collaboration was awarded $7,000 to expand and strengthen its new role as the Tidal Delaware Water Trail Manager by 1) updating its website to provide recreational access and safety information for activities along the river from Chester to Trenton; and 2) building and strengthening organizational and community-based partnerships through events and collaborative projects related to the watershed.

-- Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area was awarded $5,700 for the production and installation of Water Trail information kiosks for Reeser’s Landing in Exeter Township, Berks County and Schuylkill Haven Island Park in Schuylkill Haven Borough, Schuylkill County.

Each kiosk will have 4 informational panels: A Heritage Area Panel, a Local Map Panel, an English Language Safety Panel and a Spanish Language Safety Panel.

-- Shenango River Watchers were awarded $1,660 for wayfinding signage at six kayak launches along the Upper Shenango River Water Trail, and directional signage to be used at our spring and fall Paddle Fest events.

The double-sided wayfinding signs will assist new and experienced paddlers successfully navigate the Water Trail as they will be viewable from both the river and the launch area.

The signs will help guide users by informing them of their current location and the distance to the next takeout site. Informational event signage for spring and fall Paddle Fest events will also be funded by this award.

-- Susquehanna Greenway Partnership was awarded $6,245 for the Public Input Process component of the Lower West Branch Susquehanna River ADA & Universal Accessibility Access Study.

SGP is assessing Susquehanna River accesses from Ronovo to Sunbury, for ADA and Universal compliance.

This award will fund a public input process, including a survey, that will guide the recommendations of the final report to evaluate the needs for each water access site and complement the inventory and analysis that is currently on-going.

The result will be an implementation plan for improving water accesses along the Susquehanna River to ensure access for all, with cost estimates for required/recommended improvements.

-- Wildlands Conservancy was awarded $2,940 for the Future Trailblazers: Inspiring the Next Generation project which will provide students from Northeast Middle School in Bethlehem with an immersive educational experience that combines environmental learning with recreational activities.

By engaging these students in biking and boating along the D&L Trail and the Lehigh River Water Trail, the program will highlight the critical connections between land use, water quality, and ecosystem health.

Northeast Middle School is located within an Environmental Justice area, making this project especially impactful by addressing educational disparities and fostering environmental stewardship among underserved communities.

Background

The Pennsylvania Water Trail Program is administered by PEC in partnership with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Fish and Boat Commission, and the National Parks Service and serves to promote and maintain the Pennsylvania Water Trails Program's network of creeks and rivers.

Projects awarded funding advance program goals such as creating recreational opportunities for all Pennsylvanians on Water Trails; developing trails that support sustainable use of natural resources; increasing physical and inclusive access to and use of Water Trails; linking diverse community members with accessible on-water paddling experiences, improving the paddling experience through education, signage, and mapping, and connecting water trails to land trails or to other culturally significant community assets.

All projects must occur on a designated Pennsylvania Water Trail.

The Pennsylvania Water Trail Partnership along with all of the Water Trail Managers work to achieve a common vision that includes--

-- Developing more water trails in Pennsylvania;

-- Strengthening connections between existing water trails to promote a system of trails;

-- Marketing and promoting Pennsylvania water trails more effectively;

-- Sharing technical assistance, tools and resources among local managers for long-term maintenance, stewardship, and sustainable and equitable access;

-- Promoting national recognition of Pennsylvania’s water trails; and

-- Promoting water trails to enhance citizen stewardship of local water resources.

PEC has administered the PA Water Trail Mini-Grant Program since 2017. Mini-grant funding is financed in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program, under the administration of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

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