Three Franklin County projects have been awarded a combined $446,000 in state grants to improve parks, expand recreational opportunities and guide future development at Buttonwood Nature Center.
The funding includes $300,000 for Zullinger Community Center Park in Washington Township, $111,000 for Heritage Park in Quincy Township and $35,000 for a master site development plan at Buttonwood Nature Center in Washington Township.
The awards are part of $81 million in Community Conservation Partnerships Program grants announced by Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. Statewide, the funding supports 306 recreation and conservation projects across 60 counties.
Washington Township received the largest of the three Franklin County awards. Its $300,000 grant will support rehabilitation and further development of Zullinger Community Center Park.
Planned improvements include an internal loop trail, pickleball courts, a basketball court, a pavilion, pedestrian walkways, an access drive and a parking area. The project also includes playground equipment with safety surfacing, fencing, accessibility improvements, landscaping, a project sign and other site work.
Quincy Township received $111,000 to rehabilitate and further develop Heritage Park. Work includes construction of a pedestrian walkway, an access drive and a parking area, along with installation of playground equipment and required safety surfacing. Accessibility improvements, landscaping, a project sign and related site work also are included.
Buttonwood Nature Center Inc. received $35,000 to prepare a master site development plan for its 40-acre property in Washington Township. The planning work will produce an electronic written report and a site development drawing to guide future improvements.
“Investing in these projects opens the door for more people to experience the parks, rivers, and trails that make Pennsylvania such a special place to live,” Dunn said.
The statewide grant round includes $35.5 million for 154 local park and recreation facility projects, $10.7 million for 34 trail planning and development projects and $12.9 million for 30 land conservation projects covering 6,254 acres.
Additional awards support community and watershed forestry, river conservation, statewide and regional organizations, and all-terrain vehicle and snowmobile facilities and trails.
Funding for the grant round comes from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, the Environmental Stewardship Fund and other sources. Buttonwood’s planning grant is funded through the Environmental Stewardship Fund, while the Quincy and Washington township park grants are supported by the Keystone fund.
