In all, the DCNR grants will fund the acquisition of 26 land tracts aggregating 5,139 acres and convert 13 abandoned railroads to "rail trails." The latter includes the renovation and development of existing trails along with plans for more than 60 miles of new ones.
The largest tract of land affected by a grant is the 1,025-acre Resica Falls project in Monroe County. The funding allows for the acquisition of a conservation easement for natural-area protection and recreation to help protect Big Bushkill Creek, which is a cold-water fishery, along with several lakes and waterfalls. Michael DiBerardinis, DCNR secretary, calls this project "exactly the type of partnering DCNR seeks" and notes that voters in Monroe and the surrounding southeastern counties recently approved open space referendums.
A grant of just over $1 million--the largest in this round of funding--went to the Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority for development of the Rock Run snowmobile and all terrain vehicle site in Chest Twp. It follows a $2-million 2004 DCNR grant for acquisition of the 6,000-acre site, formerly occupied by K&J Coal Co.
DiBerardinis says DCNR received 95 applications for land trust acquisition this year requesting an aggregate of $23.5 million. "While we were able to fund about two thirds of the applications we received," he says, "we were only able to provide about one third of the funds requested."
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