Lehigh Valley Greenways program seeks applicants

Through the Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape, the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor will disburse $120,000 as part of the 2023 Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program. The online application period will run from Feb. 16 through 4 p.m. March 16.

Projects must be located within Lehigh or Northampton County. Eligible applicants include municipalities, municipal agencies, county conservation districts, educational institutions (colleges, universities, school districts), and non-profit organizations with both tax-exempt 501c3 status and registered with PA Bureau of Charitable Organizations.

Interested applicants are encouraged to attend the pre-application meeting 9:30-11:30 a.m. Feb. 23 at Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center. Virtual and in-person registration is available through Events - Lehigh Valley Greenways (lvgreenways.org). If unable to attend the pre-application meeting, contact Brit Kondravy, DLNHC Conservation Coordinator, to discuss your project before applying.

The current application cycle will be awarded in April 2023 for single-year projects to start and end between May 1 and October 2024. Grant requests should be a minimum of $1,000 and maximum of $10,000. Mini grants must be matched with cash and/or eligible in-kind contributions at a minimum 1:1 ratio.

Priorities for the 2023 grants are: adopt model ordinances and/or an official map to protect natural resources and improve bicycle/pedestrian connections; implement ecological restoration projects; host educational events, trainings and workshops which involve an inclusive audience and advance the goals of Lehigh Valley Greenways; improve THE LINK, the trail network in the Lehigh Valley; and incorporate climate change adaptation strategies into all relevant projects.

For full mini grant guidelines and to fill out the online application, go to lvgreenways.org/ mini-grants/apply-for-a-mini-grant/.

For information on Lehigh Valley Greenways and the mini grant program, contact Brit Kondravy at 610-923-3548, ext. 225 or conservation@delawareandlehigh.org.