FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 5, 2024
Contact: Josh Raulerson, Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Phone: (412) 481-9400 ext. 408
Email: [email protected]
PEC announces 2024 PA Water Trail Mini-Grants Now Available
Dallas, PA – The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) has announced the opening of the 2024 PA Water Trails Mini-Grant cycle. Grants are available on a competitive basis for projects that implement the PA Water Trail Program’s eight guiding principles:
Partnership • Stewardship • Volunteerism • Education • Conservation
Community Vitality • Diversity • Wellness and Well-being
Proposed projects must advance program goals such as creating recreational opportunities for all Pennsylvanians on Water Trails; developing trails that support sustainable use of natural resources; increasing and improving physical and psychological access to Water Trails; and connecting water trails to land trails or to other culturally significant community assets.
Eligible applicants include registered non-profit organizations and public entities (such as a county, municipality, or municipal agency) and all projects must occur on or for a designated Pennsylvania Water Trail (view map here: https://www.pawatertrails.org). Applicants can request up to $7,000 and project proposals must include a 1:1 match (cash or in-kind).
All applications must be submitted online. Applications and instructions are now available at https://pennsylvaniaenvironmentalcouncil.submittable.com, or via the link at https://pecpa.org/apply. Applications are due by 5:00 PM on November 1, 2024.
PEC will host an optional virtual pre-application meeting on Monday, September 23, 2024 at 11 AM. Registration is not required. Interested applicants can join the meeting at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81205932960
Pennsylvania’s 28 water trails link outdoor recreation and water conservation efforts. Since 2008, PEC, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), and the National Park Service have worked together to promote and maintain the Pennsylvania Water Trails Program’s network of creeks and rivers. The PA Water Trails Program provides technical assistance, shares education and resources, and facilitates opportunities for networking and peer-to-peer learning for water trail managers. On average, PEC supports between 6 and 10 projects under this program per year. Over the years project outcomes have included improved way-finding signage and safety messaging, inclusive cultural storytelling kiosks, water trail promotional material, up-to-date water trail maps and trip itineraries, new and enhanced physical access sites, streamside habitat improvement, and environmental education and introduction to paddling opportunities for youth and underserved community members.
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 Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation. Therefore, applicants should note that mini-grants may not be used as match for other DCNR-funded projects.
For information about other grant funding opportunities for motorized and non-motorized boat access development or enhancement projects, please visit the PFBC’s Boating Facility Grant Program website (https://www.fishandboat.com/About-Us/Grants/Pages/BoatingFacilityGrantProgram.aspx), DCNR’s Community Conservation partnerships Program Grant Program website (https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Communities/Grants/pages/default.aspx), and PEC’s Statewide Waterways Access Grant Program application page at www.pecpa.org/apply.
About PEC
Founded in 1970, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC)’s mission is to protect and restore the natural and built environments through innovation, collaboration, education, and advocacy. We work closely with government, business, nonprofit, and community stakeholders to advance our shared goals in energy and climate policy, trail development and outdoor recreation, watershed protection and restoration, reforestation, and conservation-focused economic development. PEC is active throughout Commonwealth, with regional offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, State College, and Dallas, PA. Learn more at www.pecpa.org.