HARRISBURG – Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn has announced free grant workshops in November for those seeking funding assistance for new park trail or conservation projects.
“There’s no better first step to getting help with the DCNR grant process than through the direct technical assistance that is provided by our staff, which is why we highly encourage participation in this workshop,” Dunn said.
“These workshops provide valuable insight into the grant process that can help a borough, township, nonprofit, or watershed group turn plans into action and we welcome all applications.”
This free, virtual workshop will take place Thursday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Anyone interested in applying for bureau grants in 2023 is strongly encouraged to attend.
The workshop will take place via a Microsoft Teams Live Event. Attendees do not need Teams installed on their computers to access the workshop.
Pre-registration is required to ensure participants receive needed materials. To register, visit events.dcnr.pa.gov. Click “Register” to begin the registration process. Follow the prompts to complete your registration.
A general session for all applicants will begin at 9 a.m. Project type-specific breakout sessions will follow. Applicants should plan on attending both the general session and the breakout session for the project type for which they plan to apply.
Videos of workshop presentations will be made available on the DCNR YouTube channel for those who cannot attend.
The workshop will provide insight on:
- Who can apply
- What can be funded
- When funding will be available
- How to make project applications more competitive
The workshops are especially suited for municipal officials, consultants, board members, trail managers, land trust staff and park and recreation professionals.
The workshop will include time to discuss questions and answers with grant managers and regional advisers. Project types discussed will include:
- Planning, constructing and renovating outdoor recreation facilities such as parks, pools and playgrounds
- Land acquisition
- Non-motorized and motorized trail planning and construction
- River access and riparian forest buffers
- State-wide and regional partnerships
The grants are administered by the DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2). DCNR provides grants to support outdoor recreation and conservation projects and has funded projects in every Pennsylvania county.
This year, DCNR funded more than 330 projects for a record $90 million, surpassing the 2021 record grant award of $70 million.
Funding each year supports projects that directly impact Pennsylvania communities, including parks, playgrounds, trails, nature preserves, boat launches, pools, ballfields and more.
Funding for the grants comes from the state Environmental Stewardship Fund and the Keystone Recreation, Park, and Conservation Fund; as well as the federal Pennsylvania Recreational Trails Program and the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
DCNR is also supporting an unprecedented additional 2022 fall grant round, which was made possible in part from appropriated funds in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s 2022-23 budget.
The C2P2 special fall grant opportunity will highlight helping underserved communities, closing trail gaps, supporting an invigorated focus on the outdoor recreation sector and planting trees along streams and in communities. The deadline to submit applications for the fall grant round is Oct. 27.
For more information on DCNR grants, please contact one of the Bureau of Recreation and Conservation’s regional office staff.
Bureau staff can meet with community leaders and stakeholders in the field to discuss projects and explore potential funding sources. Contact the staff person associated with the county your project will be located in, which is listed by region here.
