Ciresi announces more than $1 million in parks and conservation grants for Pottstown, Trappe area
Rep. Joseph Ciresi January 12, 2023 | 4:28 PM
HARRISBURG, Jan. 12 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, announced today that more than $1 million in state grants have been awarded to the region for outdoor recreation and improvement.
The grants are part of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ investment of $31.2 million in 88 projects through the Community Conservation Partnerships Program announced today. These projects are intended to help underserved and small communities and partnerships across the commonwealth with recreation and conservation efforts, improve water quality, and improve resiliency to climate change.
Projects awarded grants include:
- Community and Watershed Forestry Grant: $440,000 for Pottstown School District TreeVitalize
- The grant will allow the Pottstown School District to plant approximately 563 trees at nine school district sites, including in and around parking lots and playgrounds. These tree plantings will contribute to the overall urban tree canopy of Pottstown and help reduce the urban heat island effect within the borough. In addition, installation of the trees will involve faculty and students, and interpretive signs will be installed to educate students, faculty and borough residents about the trees and the benefits of tree planting.
- State Parks and Outdoor Recreation Program: $239,300 for the Rehabilitation of Pottstown’s Chestnut Street Park
- Funding will support rehabilitation of Pottstown’s Chestnut Street Park, including the construction of a pedestrian walking path; installation of new play equipment; ADA access, landscaping and other site improvements. These upgrades will support meeting the outdoor recreation needs of Pottstown residents at this neighborhood park.
- State Parks and Outdoor Recreation Program: $450,700 for the further development of Trappe’s Sisca Park
- Funded development of Trappe’s Sisca Community Park and Garden will focus on expanding the park and upgrading outdated and non-ADA compliant play areas. Outdated play areas will be outfitted with new equipment that will allow for all-inclusive play compatible with ADA standards and offer diverse play pieces to appeal to different personalities. A new raingarden will be installed and used as a model garden to show the community how they could manage and clean stormwater, while creating a natural landscape of native plants. The stormwater will feed into this area and enter a stone stream bed with natural plants, which will allow for infiltration and filtering of the stormwater. This project will provide a practical solution to an existing drainage problem and a long-term investment in public education and outreach.
“This funding will make our communities greener and create more opportunities for healthy outdoor recreation for our residents,” Ciresi said. “Supporting significant park improvements in Pottstown and Trappe, and planting hundreds of trees throughout Pottstown, these state grants offer a continued investment in the forward-thinking local vision in our communities as we work together to make our towns excellent places to work, recreate and raise a family.”
The grants are funded from multiple sources with the largest being the American Rescue Plan Act ARPA money appropriated for recreation and conservation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s 2022-23 budget.
Visit the DCNR website for a complete list of grants by county, for Community Watershed and Forestry grants and Land Conservation, Parks, Rivers, and Partnerships grants.