$120,000 available to Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Applicants
(EASTON January 19) – Through the Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape (LVG), the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (DLNHC) is preparing to disburse $120,000 as part of the 2023 Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program. The online application period will run from Thursday, February 16 to Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 4:00pm.
Projects must be located within Lehigh or Northampton County. Eligible applicants include municipalities, municipal agencies, county conservation districts, educational institutions (colleges, universities, school districts), and non-profit organizations with both tax-exempt 501c3 status and registered with PA Bureau of Charitable Organizations.
Interested applicants are highly encouraged to attend the pre-application meeting on Thursday, February 23, 2023, at Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, from 9:30am – 11:30am. Virtual and in-person registration is available through Events – Lehigh Valley Greenways (lvgreenways.org). If unable to attend the pre-application meeting, contact Brit Kondravy, DLNHC Conservation Coordinator, to discuss your project before applying.
The current application cycle will be awarded in April 2023 for single-year projects to start and end between May 1, 2023, and October 2024. Grant requests should be a minimum of $1,000 and maximum of $10,000. Mini grants must be matched with cash and/or eligible in-kind contributions at a minimum 1:1 ratio.
Lehigh Valley Greenways mini grants are intended to inspire collaboration to carry out ready-to-go, single-year projects that protect and promote the natural resources of the Lehigh Valley. Land conservation & restoration, outdoor recreation & trail connections, community revitalization, and local education & outreach are the goals of Lehigh Valley Greenways.
Examples of past projects include:
- Saucon Rail Trail Rehabilitation, Lower Saucon Township, awarded $5,000 in 2021
- Official Map, Lower Mount Bethel Township, awarded $10,000 in 2021
- Enjoy the Ride, LV!, Coalition for Appropriate Transportation, awarded $6,000 in 2021
- Watershed Association Map Displays, Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley, awarded $3,400 in 2021
- Arboretum, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Awarded $10,000 in 2021
Priorities for the 2023 grants are:
- Adopt model ordinances and/or an official map to protect natural resources and improve bicycle/pedestrian connections (Municipalities)
- Implement ecological restoration projects (ex. stream habitat improvements, riparian buffers, native grass/wildflower meadows, rain gardens, no-mow areas along streams and in public parks)
- Host educational events, trainings and workshops which involve an inclusive audience and advance the goals of Lehigh Valley Greenways
- Improve THE LINK, the trail network in the Lehigh Valley (ex. install safety and directional signage, create safe road crossings, add trail amenities)
- Incorporate climate change adaptation strategies into all relevant projects
To review full mini grant guidelines and fill out the online application, visit https://lvgreenways.org/mini-grants/apply-for-a-mini-grant/.
The grant awards are part of Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape program and funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Environmental Stewardship Fund and administered by Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. Previously awarded projects are highlighted on Lehigh Valley Greenway’s interactive map at https://lvgreenways.org/mini-grants/.
Lehigh Valley Greenways is one of eight Conservation Landscapes supported by Pennsylvania DCNR and includes more than 25 organizations and municipal partners in Lehigh and Northampton Counties dedicated to the conservation of and connection to our natural resources.
For more information on Lehigh Valley Greenways and the mini grant program, please contact Brit Kondravy at 610-923-3548 x225 or conservation@delawareandlehigh.org.
ABOUT THE DELAWARE & LEHIGH NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR
The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that preserves historic pathway that carried coal and iron from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol. Today, the D&L Trail connects people to nature, culture, communities, recreation and our industrial heritage.
