The office of State Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-18) announced Tuesday that several parks and recreation areas in the greater Saucon Valley area will be improved thanks to grants which have been awarded by the state’s Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR).
In Boscola’s e-newsletter, she said “the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has awarded a total of $1,325,000 in grants in the 18th Senatorial District through the Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) specifically for Community Parks (Development, Planning, Small Community) and Partnerships projects, as well as trail projects and land conservation projects.”
Among the recipients of the grants are:
- Wildlands Conservancy Inc., $500,000, for the acquisition of approximately 168 acres in Salisbury and Upper Saucon townships, Lehigh County, for the creation of a new preserve and the protection of approximately 19 acres in Upper Saucon Township in the form of a land donation.
- Hellertown Borough, $228,200, for the rehabilitation and further development of Borough Authority Park. The project includes the renovation of a concession stand; the construction of a comfort station and parking area; the installation of fencing; addition of ADA access; and installation of a project sign.
- Northampton County, $200,000, for the rehabilitation and further development of Wy-Hit-Tuk County Park in Williams Township. The project includes the construction of a comfort station, pavilions, pedestrian walkways and stormwater management measures; installation of play equipment with required safety surfacing; the addition of ADA access, landscaping, a project sign and other related site improvements.
The C2P2 program is administered by DCNR’s Bureau of Recreation and Conservation to provide financial and technical assistance to local governments, rail and trail organizations, land trusts and other non-profits for park, recreation, conservation and greenway projects.
The Recreation and Conservation grant program is funded with a variety of state and federal funding sources including, the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund (Key 93) which includes Key-Community and Key-Land Trust; the Environmental Stewardship Fund (ESF).
The fountain at the center of Hellertown’s Borough Authority Park is a popular place for outdoor weddings because of its bucolic ambiance. The Hellertown Borough Authority building is located in the background of this file photo.