Office Hours: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM, Monday – Friday
Grants Customer Service Center Address:Department of Conservation and Natural ResourcesBureau of Recreation and ConservationAttn: Grants Customer Service CenterPO Box 8475, 400 Market StreetRCSOB 5th FloorHarrisburg, PA 17105-8475
Are you looking for DCNR Firewise Hazard Mitigation Program Grants? Click here to apply for Firewise Grants.
The next Grant Round starts on January 23rd, 2017 and closes April 12th, 2017 4:00pm
Trail projects include the acquisition, planning, development, rehabilitation, or maintenance of designated routes on land for motorized recreation activities. This includes the purchase of equipment for trail construction or maintenance.
Ready-to-Go Checklist - Trail Acquisition Ready-to-Go Checklist - Trail Planning Ready-to-Go Checklist - Trail Development Ready-to-Go Checklist - Trail Equipment Purchase Ready-to-Go Checklist - Trail Educational Programs Trail Development Drawing Checklist Grant Instructions & Guidance Documents Trail Project Guidance Documents Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Policies DCNR e-Library
Motorized Trails Pre-application Tasks:
Trail Acquisition Projects involve the purchase of fee simple title or perpetual easement to real property for subsequent development of motorized and non-motorized trails and trail-related facilities.
Trail Planning Projects examine the feasibility of developing land and water trails and trail-related facilities for motorized and non-motorized recreational activities as well as provide an action plan to make the trail a reality.
Trail Development Projects involve new construction, rehabilitation and/or maintenance of existing land and water trails and trail-related facilities for motorized and non-motorized recreational activities.
Equipment Purchase Projects involve the purchase or lease of equipment to be used exclusively for the maintenance or construction of land and water trails and trail-related facilities for motorized and non-motorized recreational activities.
Trail projects include the acquisition, planning, development, rehabilitation, or maintenance of designated routes on land or water for non-motorized recreation activities. This includes the purchase of equipment for trail construction or maintenance.
Trails Pre-application Tasks:
These projects involve the purchase and/or donation of land for park and recreation areas, greenways, critical habitat areas and/or open space.
Ready-to-Go Checklist Sample Timeline Grant Instructions & Guidance Documents Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Policies Eligible and Ineligible Project Activities / Costs Policy DCNR e-Library Acquisition Pre-application Tasks:
Land utilized for natural landscapes containing minimal or no structures for purpose of maintaining undeveloped space.
Natural habitat or landscapes primarily utilized for the protection of rare or endangered species.
These projects involve the rehabilitation and development of public parks, recreation facilities, greenways and river conservation projects.
Please review the sample budget forms below.
Planning projects "lay the groundwork" for future land acquisition, development and/or management of parks, recreational facilities, critical habitat, open space, natural areas, greenways, and river/watershed corridors.
Land Conservation and Stewardship Plans consist of inventory, analysis and recommendations to establish acquisition priorities and/or a long-term management plan for the preservation and environmental protection of specific natural areas or important environmental aspects of specific regions. These studies usually entail substantial research conducted by experts in critical habitat identification and assessment and substantial mapping of sensitive environmental and important habitat areas.
Combination Projects are a combination of compatible eligible planning project types. Common examples are: Swimming Pool Feasibility Study combined with a Master Site Development Plan on the same site; Comprehensive Recreation, Park, Open Space and Greenway Plan including Site Development Drawings. Note: Applicants must review combination projects with the appropriate Regional Advisor prior to submitting a grant application
Partnerships projects are collaborative statewide or regional initiatives that help build local, county, regional and statewide capacity to better develop and manage recreation and park facilities and to promote the conservation of natural and heritage resources through plan implementation, education and training.
Projects that develop, promote, and/or conduct training or education programs; prepare and distribute technical assistance or educational materials, brochures or videos and/or otherwise provide for the training and education of professionals and/or the general public on a local, county, regional or statewide basis. These projects address issues related to plan implementation, capacity building, training or education programs related to natural resource and community conservation, land and open space preservation, greenways, trails and recreation and parks.
Example of these types of projects include: Advancing awareness of rivers, greenways, trails, recreation and/or conservation issues through educational conferences, workshops, materials, publications, sojourns and websites.
Special Purpose Planning is a comprehensive planning process that will define a long-range (5-10 year) plan of action to organize, implement, manage and market natural resource and community conservation, heritage resources, land and open space preservation, greenways, trails, recreation and parks, or cultural preservation.
Special Purpose Study is a more concentrated study or plan necessary to implement one or more of the recommendations of a previously completed planning study. These projects will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.
The Bureau requires that project consultants are selected using a competitive request for proposal (RFP) process.
Examples of special purpose studies would be management action plans, economic assessments, marketing plans, specialized inventories, preservation and interpretive plans, as well as, special feasibility studies.
Implementation Projects are non-planning projects that implement recommendations of previously completed special purpose plans or studies. Examples of implementation projects include the construction of interpretive/educational exhibits, programs, signage and materials, as well as, promotional/marketing products.
The Bureau requires an open and competitive process for the award of all sub-contracts.
Statewide and regional partners may request mini-grant funding to develop small grant programs that will implement multiple projects through their local partners. These projects should advance priorities identified through previous completed plans. The request can include a combination of project types eligible for funding under the Statewide and Regional category.
A 50/50 match requirement applies to all projects funded.
The DCNR Riparian Forest Buffer Program provides financial assistance to identify locations in need of riparian forest buffers and to design, establish, monitor, and provide short-term maintenance for those buffers. Applicants are encouraged to include the Multifunctional Buffer Concept in their proposed project.
A Conventional buffer refers to a vegetated area along a stream including native riparian forested trees and shrubs.
Multifunctional buffers refer to a riparian forest buffer that includes both native riparian forested trees and shrubs as well as harvested products such as berries, woody florals, biomass etc.
The Peer & Circuit Rider grants are open year round.
These grant programs fund projects that help municipalities, counties, multi-municipal partnerships, and council of governments to increase local capacity for recreation, parks and conservation. The Peer program funds projects that, through a collaborative process, focus on a specific need identified by the grantee and its partners. The Circuit Rider program aides in the hiring of a full-time park, recreation or conservation professional whose services are shared by the members of a formal partnership, commission or authority.
This program funds projects that help municipalities improve their park, recreation and conservation services through a collaborative process. Projects are accomplished through contracts with experienced park, recreation and conservation professionals from nearby communities who will work closely with local leaders.
Peer grants are awarded to help municipalities improve their park, recreation and conservation services through a collaborative process. Projects are accomplished through contracts with experienced park, recreation and conservation professionals from nearby communities who will work closely with local leaders. Examples may include projects that form new intergovernmental recreation and park agencies (which is a high priority for DCNR); improving management of a specific facility like a community center, trail or pool; conducting an overall management assessment of an agency’s park and recreation services; park and recreation board training and development, etc.
This program funds projects for county(ies), multi-municipal entities and/or Council of Governments to hire a professional, full-time staff person.
The Circuit Rider grants are awarded to initiate new programs and services for county(ies), Council of Governments and/or multi-municipal entities, that individually do not have the financial resources to hire a professional full-time staff person. The Circuit Rider’s purpose is to initiate new programs and services in the designated service area. The intended result of this project is to increase the ability of grantee to more efficiently and effectively meet their recreation, park, greenway, open space and/or natural resource conservation needs. The grantee will be responsible for the long-term financial commitment and maintenance of this professional position.