EASTON, Pa. — There’s $75,000 up for grabs in this year’s round of environmental mini grants through the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, officials said Wednesday.
“Lehigh Valley Greenways mini grants are intended to inspire collaborative, single-year projects that protect and promote the natural resources of the Lehigh Valley and advance the goals of Lehigh Valley Greenways,” according to a news release from D&L officials.
“Land conservation and restoration, outdoor recreation and trail connections, community revitalization, and local education and outreach are the goals of Lehigh Valley Greenways.”
Applications open Monday for the 2024 Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini Grant Program and are accepted until 4 p.m. March 8. The grants, earmarked for conservation efforts in Lehigh and Northampton counties, come from Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape, an effort funded by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and administered by D&L officials.
Municipalities, municipal agencies, county conservation districts, educational institutions and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply, according to the release. Projects must be for one year, to start and end between May 1 and November 30, 2025.
Priority projects include: adopting model ordinances and/or an official map to protect natural resources and improve bicycle/pedestrian connections; ecological restoration projects; educational events, trainings and workshops; improving THE LINK, Lehigh Valley’s growing multi-use trail network; and incorporating climate change adaptation strategies into all relevant projects.
“Grant requests should be a minimum of $1,000 and maximum of $15,000 with total project costs at least double the grant request,” according to the release. “Mini grants must be matched with cash and/or eligible in-kind contributions at a minimum 1:1 ratio.”
A pre-application meeting has been scheduled from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Feb. 1 at D&L headquarters, 2750 Hugh Moore Park Road.
Last year, more than a dozen organizations across the Valley were awarded $86,500 through the program.
Northampton will get $3,000 to support the design and installation of Memorial Monarch Butterfly Gardens at the borough’s Canal Park, while $1,800 will go to Bushkill Township for the municipality’s official map update.
Register for the pre-application meeting here. For full guidelines and the online application, visit Lehigh Valley Greenways’ website.
