DCNR Awards Riparian Buffer Restoration Grant to Chester County Department of Parks + Preservation
Winter 2023
In January the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) announced awards for its Fall 2022 round of applications to the Community Watershed and Forestry Program. Chester County's Department of Parks + Preservation was awarded a $70,000 grant for a multi-site project that will strengthen the natural resources within the county parks. Some of the projects this grant will support include: the planting of trees and shrubs to establish and strengthen riparian forest buffers in five different county parks; planting trees along the Chester Valley Trail to reforest after heavy losses of ash trees due to the Emerald Ash Borer; and a 1-acre lawn-to-meadow conversion project at Hibernia Park. These projects will be led by staff of the Parks + Preservation Department and will rely on volunteers to plant the trees and inspect and maintain the plantings while they are getting established.
Chester County's parks are an important part of the community and feature diverse ecosystems, including the globally rare Serpentine Barrens at Nottingham County Park. The Chester County Parks system also offers a wide range of programming and volunteer opportunities that can be found on their website.
In addition to the Community Watershed and Forestry Program, DCNR recently awarded grants to several Chester County municipalities through their Land Conservation, Parks, Rivers, and Partnerships program. These grants included over $1 million to the City of Coatesville for the renovation of its largest city park, $4 million to Westtown Township for the acquisition of Crebilly Farm, and others. Congratulations to all the awardees!