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Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure is pleased to announce that through the Division of Parks & Recreation, applications for the 2020 Livable Landscapes Grant Program are being accepted March 4, 2020 until 3 pm, April 30, 2020.
The Livable Landscapes Grant Program 2020 priorities include:
- Land conservation: fee simple acquisition or conservation easement of critical habitat, natural areas, agricultural lands, forest, and land threatened by development
- Ecological restoration: riparian buffers, stream stabilization and habitat improvements, native grass & wildflower meadows, rain gardens, and climate change adaptations
- Education and outreach: adopt environmental regulations to protect natural resources, open space, riparian corridors, greenways, and trails
- Municipal park development and rehabilitation: recreation and trails, with green infrastructure, best management practices, and stormwater management strategies
- Regional trail connections such as: Two Rivers Area Trail, Northern Tier Trail, D&L Trail
“Thank you to County Executive Lamont McClure and Northampton County Council for their commitment and continued support for Livable Landscapes grant funding to implement Northampton County’s Livable Landscapes to conserve, restore, and enhance natural resources, greenways, blueways, parks, and trails. The grant funding helps our municipalities and other organizations implement their conservation and recreation goals throughout the County”, stated Sherry Acevedo, Conservation Coordinator.
Grant submission timeline includes:
- Land Preservation projects are on an open grant round monthly throughout the year
- All other projects, application timeline
- Application grant round opens – March 4, 2020
- Grant workshop – March 25, 2020 at 9:00 – 11:30 am
- Application grant round close – April 30, 2020 by 3 pm
Eligible applicants include: Municipalities and Council of Governments in Northampton County, non-profit organizations, and institutions of Higher Education. Eligible projects need to be consistent with the Action Plan and Goals listed in the Livable Landscapes – An Open Space Plan for Northampton County and be consistent with other regional and local plans.
In 2019, Northampton County awarded Livable Landscapes grant totaled:
- $693,608 to conserve 292 acres of land in Bushkill Township, Upper Mount Bethel Township, Plainfield Township, and Williams Township
- $465,237 for eight municipal park rehabilitation and development projects
- $136,800 for three projects in ecological restoration, trail plan, and trail construction
“From 2006-2019, the Livable Landscapes Grant Program has helped preserve over 3,200 acres of natural areas, provided more than 90 municipal park grants, and built trails to provide a variety of recreational opportunities across the County. The investments of $5.6 million in land conservation and $8.7 million in municipal park projects are made possible by the leadership and support from our County Executive Lamont McClure and Northampton County Council,” said Bryan Cope, Superintendent of Parks and Recreation.
Potential applicants should attend a grant workshop on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, 9:00 – 11:30 am, in Room 3 at the County of Northampton Department of Human Services Building, 2801 Emrick Blvd., Bethlehem, PA 18020. The grant application can be found on the Northampton County website, Division of Parks & Recreation page.https://www.northamptoncounty.
Livable Landscapes Grant Program inquiries should be directed to:
Sherry Acevedo, Conservation Coordinator
Northampton County Division of Parks and Recreation
Louise W. Moore County Park
151 Country Club Road
Easton, PA 18045
Telephone: 610-829-4872
Information provided to TVL by:
Becky Bartlett
Deputy Director of Administration
Northampton County Government Center
669 Washington Street
Easton, PA 18042
https://www.northamptoncounty.org/
