For more information, to register and to apply, go to https://www.grants.dcnr.state.pa.us/index.aspx.  

Background  
Grant funding from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) assists hundreds of communities and organizations across Pennsylvania to plan, acquire and develop recreation and park facilities, trails and conserve open space.   Grants are available for the following types of projects:  

Community Recreation and Conservation Projects to plan, acquire land for, develop or rehabilitate active and passive recreation, park, conservation, greenway and open space areas and facilities; Land Trust Projects to acquire open space, critical habitat and natural areas; Pennsylvania Recreational Trails Projects to develop and maintain recreational trails and related facilities for motorized and non-motorized recreational trail use; Rails-to-Trails Projects to plan, acquire or develop rail-trail corridors; River Conservation Projects to develop river conservation plans and fund implementation projects involving acquiring land, and planning or developing facilities such as trails and fishing access areas along river corridors; Snowmobile/ATV Projects to plan, acquire, develop and maintain snowmobile and ATV trails; Education, Training and Implementation Projects that develop, promote or conduct training or educational programs; prepare and distribute technical assistance or educational manuals, brochures or videos and/or otherwise provide for the training and education of both professionals and the general public on a local, county, regional or statewide basis.  

Application Deadline  
During this open application period, applications for all of the above will be accepted between 10:00 AM Wednesday January 6, 2010 and 4:00 PM Wednesday April 21, 2010.  

Application Process
All applications must be submitted electronically, online through the Environmental eGrants System available at https://www.grants.dcnr.state.pa.us/index.aspx.  DCNR piloted this system last year with great success, and this year has eliminated the traditional published paper manual and grant application forms.  All applications must be submitted electronically no paper applications will be accepted.  All of the necessary information, plus additional program policies and application instructions, are available online both from within the online, electronic Environmental eGrants System and from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program webpage.  For assistance with the Environmental eGrants System, call the DCNR Grants Customer Service Center at 1-800-326-7734 or email us at DCNR-Grants@state.pa.us.    

Applications may not be submitted via fax or e-mail; if so-submitted, they will be rejected as not-submitted.   This announcement has been sent to: municipalities, recreation and park boards and departments, county planning commissions, trails and rivers groups, pre-qualified land trusts, Heritage Area managers, PennDot LDDs, MPOs, state legislators and others.  

Regional Recreation and Park Advisers  
We strongly encourage all applicants to contact their Regional Recreation and Park Adviser to discuss the proposed project and the program application requirements prior to submitting an application.  To find your Regional Adviser, go to http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/grants/Regional_Map.pdf.  

Workshops  
DCNR, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society (PRPS), has scheduled seven workshops throughout the Commonwealth during February, 2010.  You can register online for a workshop at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/calendar under the Workshops-Grants Calendar.  For more information on the workshops, go to http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/grants/.  

02/02/10 – Southeast Region, The Fire Academy, Conshohocken

02/04/10 – Southeast Region, Government Services Center, West Chester

02/09/10 – Southcentral Region, Stuart Community Center, Carlisle

02/11/10 – Northcentral Region, Boalsburg Fire Company, Boalsburg

02/18/10 - Northeast Region, Luzerne County Community College, Nanticoke

02/23/10 – Northwest Region, Clarion University, Clarion

02/24/10 - Southwest Region, Dormont Borough Recreation Center, Dormont

 

Persons with a disability who wish to submit an application and require assistance should contact Darrel Siesholtz at 717-787-7672 to discuss how we may best accommodate their needs.  Voice/TTY users should call 800-654-5984.