$75,000 available to Support Local Conservation and Recreation Initiatives
EASTON (Jan. 24) – As the local leader for Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape, Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (DLNHC) is preparing to award $75,000 as part of the 2024 Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program. The online application period will run from Monday, January 29 to Friday, March 8, 2024, at 4:00pm.
Lehigh Valley Greenways mini grants are intended to inspire collaborative, single-year projects that protect and promote the natural resources of the Lehigh Valley and advance the goals of Lehigh Valley Greenways. Land conservation & restoration, outdoor recreation & trail connections, community revitalization, and local education & outreach are the goals of Lehigh Valley Greenways.
Funding Priorities for 2024 are:
- (Municipalities) Adoption of model ordinances and/or an official map to protect natural resources and improve bicycle/pedestrian connections
- Implementation of ecological restoration projects (ex. stream habitat improvements, riparian buffers, native grass/wildflower meadows, rain gardens, bioswales, and no-mow areas along streams, trails and in parks)
- Hosting of educational events, trainings and workshops which involve an inclusive audience to advance the goals of Lehigh Valley Greenways
- Improvement of THE LINK, Lehigh Valley’s growing multi-use trail network (ex. close trail gaps, install safety and directional signage, improve stormwater management, create safe road crossings, add trail amenities)
- Incorporation of climate change adaptation strategies into all relevant projects
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. Projects must be located within Lehigh or Northampton Counties.
The current application cycle will be awarded in April 2024 for single-year projects to start and end between May 1, 2024, and November 30, 2025. Grant requests should be a minimum of $1,000 and maximum of $15,000 with total project costs at least double the grant request. Mini grants must be matched with cash and/or eligible in-kind contributions at a minimum 1:1 ratio. To review full mini grant guidelines and fill out the online application, visit https://lvgreenways.org/mini-grants/apply-for-a-mini-grant/.
Interested applicants are highly encouraged to attend the LV Greenways Mini Grant Pre-application Meeting Feb. 1, 2024, at Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor headquarters in Easton, PA. Registration for this event is required. All applicants who do not attend the pre-application meeting are requested to contact Brit Kondravy to discuss their project before applying.
The grant awards are part of Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape program and funded by Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Environmental Stewardship Fund and administered by Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. In 2023, LV Greenways awarded $86,500 in support of 13 projects. Previously completed projects are highlighted on Lehigh Valley Greenway’s interactive map at https://lvgreenways.org/mini-grants/.
Lehigh Valley Greenways includes more than 25 organizations and municipal partners in Lehigh and Northampton Counties dedicated to the conservation of and connection to our natural resources and is one of eight Conservation Landscapes supported by Pennsylvania DCNR across the Commonwealth.
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 DELAWARE & LEHIGH NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR
Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that preserves the historic pathway that carried coal and iron from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol. Through key programs like the D&L Trail, National Canal Museum, and Get Your Tail on the Trail, DLNHC connects people to nature, culture, communities, recreation, and our industrial heritage. For more information, visit delawareandlehigh.org/.
