HARRISBURG, Pa (WHTM) — The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced on Friday, Jan 21 that grant applications are now being accepted for recreation and conservation projects across the state.

“DCNR grants have a tremendous impact in helping communities with local park acquisition and improvements, trails and river access each year and we expect them to have a greater impact as a result of the increased use of the outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dunn said. “We will continue to assist as many worthy projects as we can to ensure that we retain the new users who have turned to parks, forests, and trails in the past two years to help maintain their mental and physical health.”

Every grant dollar awarded gets an additional three dollars in local, county, and private investments. Grantees include agencies such as local governments and recreation and conservation organizations.

These grants are funded through the DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program grants, and they come from several state and federal sources such as Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The grant programs have helped protect 180,000 acres across the Commonwealth for outdoor recreation, wildlife habitat, and water quality. The 2022 grant application round will remain active open until $ p.m. on Wednesday, April 6.

For more information about the grant program, click here.