The D&L Blog

The recent torrential rains did not prevent dozens of local and state politicians, representatives of state agencies, and members of the press from attending the Lehigh Valley Greenways Initiative (LVGI) press conference on August 13.

During the conference, which was held at the Silver Creek Country Club in Hellertown, D&L Resource Conservation Specialist Sherry Acevedo announced the recipients of $230,000 in state-funded mini-grants. The grants are intended to aid conservation, restoration, and education projects through Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Mini-grant recipients for 2009 are:

• Bethlehem: $33,000 to support an urban forestry program.

• Easton: $16,000 to support an urban forestry program and $5,000 to initiate environmental advisory council education and outreach activities.

• Plainfield Township: $27,700 to revise and adopt land use ordinances, complete an open space plan, and conduct education and outreach through the environmental advisory council and $20,000 to complete the stabilization, resurfacing and enhancements to the township rail trail.

• Lehigh Valley Planning Commission: $20,000 to coordinate local planning activities for consistent zoning along the Kittatinny Ridge greenway.

• Wildlands Conservancy: $12,000 to facilitate two five-day Lehigh Valley adventure camps and $10,000 to provide a Nature Nearby program to urban youth in Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton.

• Lehigh County Conservation District: $5,000 to coordinate the 2009 Lehigh Valley Watershed Conference and $40,000 to complete early implementation projects of the Saucon Creek watershed plan.

• Washington Township, Lehigh County: $40,000 to surface and enhance a half-mile of the Slate Heritage Trail.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients! Since the D&L began administering LVGI grants, we have provided over $1.3 million for local initiatives.  Click here for a timeline of LVGI’s many achievements.