HARRISBURG, PA-Under the commonwealth's Growing Greener II program, 42 projects in 23 counties have received grants aggregating nearly $17 million from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. In all, the funding helps preserve 11,000 acres for open space and passive recreation.

The largest single beneficiary is the Delaware Highlands Conservancy in Pike County. It has received $1.8 million for a conservation easement on 1,108 acres in Milford Twp. for open space and environmental education.

The Lancaster County Conservancy obtained $1.5 million to acquire 574 acres next to Money Rocks County Park in East Earl and Salisbury Twps. Another $1 million was granted to Berks County to acquire 560 acres, including Antietam Lake in Lower Alsace Twp.

"Without Growing Greener II, many of these projects would have gone unfunded, and the opportunity to protect these lands would have been lost," says Gov. Ed Rendell in a statement. Growing Greener II is a $625-million bond issue, approved by voters, to be used to clean up rivers and streams and protect natural areas, open spaces and working farms. Since November 2005, the program has provided $31.5 million to improve state parks and forests and $14.5 million in open space protection. For this latest round of funding, DCNR received 131 open space acquisition applications seeking a total of $76 million in grant assistance.