The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources this week announced grants from the Keystone Fund to support local recreation projects in Delaware and Indiana counties.

Delaware County

DCNR awarded a $85,600 grant from the Keystone Fund to expand the Mickey Vernon Park playground area in Marcus Hook Borough, Delaware County  to include new features, to help improve well-being for residents by increasing recreation opportunities.

The work includes the expansion and playground tower, new swings and spins, ADA accessible ramps and paths, removing trees from locations that hinder access and replacing them, lining the perimeter, and filling the area with mulch.

The project also will include a fence between a ball field and the playground, and a new backstop on the softball field.

Mickey Vernon Park is 4.4 acres located at Market St. and 7th St. The park is named for Marcus Hook born and raised baseball star James Barton “Mickey” Vernon, who played for the Washington Senators for the majority of his career. The park, located in the center of the borough, is next to the Marcus Hook Elementary School.

Indiana County

A investment of $399,000 from the Keystone Fund will help pay for improvements to the S&T Bank Arena in White Township, Indiana County update and restore aging structural and mechanical systems, and will include green energy initiatives at the indoor facility in the White Township Recreation Complex.

The 1,000 seat arena along East Pike Road includes an ice rink, astroturf, tennis courts, fitness area, and meeting rooms.  It hosts local sporting events as well as offers community-based programs and services. The 50-acre complex also includes turf fields, tennis courts.

Keystone Fund

The Keystone Fund is currently celebrating 25 years of supporting thousands of community improvements in Pennsylvania.

In Pennsylvania, outdoor recreation generates $29.1 billion in consumer spending, $1.9 billion in state and local tax revenue, $8.6 billion in wages and salaries, and sustains 251,000 direct Pennsylvania jobs.

DCNR Grant Workshops

To learn more about other available grant opportunities to support trail and recreation projects, attend one of the upcoming workshops on DCNR’s Community Conservation Grant Program.  Click Here for more.

A new grant round is opening soon.

For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog,  Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

NewsClips:

Money From Keystone Fund Went To Many Lycoming County Improvements

Oct. 26 Take Five Fridays With Pam (She’s Back!), PA Parks & Forests Foundation

Allegheny Commons Park Restoration Digs Up Surprises

Muncy Boat Launch Project Funding Announced

Discovering The Locks, Canals Of The Hidden River- Schuylkill River

Philadelphia Rail Park Expected To Generate Development, Instead A Self-Storage Facility

Column: Behind Opposition, Support Grows For Dirt Bikes In Philly

Op-Ed: Let ‘em Ride!  Philly Needs A Bike Park

More Improvements Set For Presque Isle Lighthouse In Erie

Flight 93 Friends Meeting Nov. 3 To Cover Latest Improvements To Memorial

Future Of Federal Land & Water Conservation Fund That Pays For Parks In Limbo

Op-Ed: PA’s Outdoor Spaces At Risk Over Failure To Reauthorize Federal Land & Water Conservation Fund

Related Stories:

DCNR Keystone Fund, Federal Land & Water Conservation Grants Support Local Recreation, Parks Projects In 9 Counties

DCNR Keystone Fund Supports Local Recreation Projects In Allegheny, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Chester, Montour Countiess

DCNR Invests $350,000 In Montgomery County Trail Projects

Conservation Leaders, DCNR Dedicate 1,500 Acre Addition To Pinchot State Forest In Luzerne County

Countryside Conservancy Opens 82-Acre Gardner Spencer Preserve In Lackawanna County

PA Land Trust Assn. Accepting Workshop Proposals For May 2019 Land Conservation Conference

DCNR Breaks Ground On New Green Hickory Run State Park Visitor Center In Carbon County

PA Parks & Forests Foundation Seeking Nominations For 2019 Annual Awards Program

Week 5: DCNR Fall Foliage Continues To Move Toward Peak Colors In More Areas

[Posted: Oct. 23, 2018]

10/29/2018