PA
CleanWays And DCNR Partner On Greenways Project
Pennsylvania
is getting connected. Environmentally connected, that is. Individuals,
organizations, and agencies of government have long envisioned strips
of "green" land connecting natural landscapes, open space
and recreational sites across Pennsylvania. That vision was put into
action through the PA Greenways Action Plan, which includes a 20-year
strategy to establish a statewide network of greenways.
PA CleanWays is
partnering with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources, the lead agency for the Pennsylvania Greenways Program, on
a project to coordinate illegal dump cleanups with site re-vegetation
in greenways throughout the state. The project includes public education
programs to increase awareness of illegal dumping issues and to focus
attention on the importance of keeping our greenways clean. And it includes
opportunities for caring citizens to "adopt a greenway" in
the cleanup areas. Funding for this project was provided through DCNR's
Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Community Conservation Partnerships
Program.
Greenways may be
a new term to those who haven't yet heard about this program. The Pennsylvania
Greenways Program defines the word "greenway" very broadly,
and includes many kinds of linear corridors across the landscape. Some
greenways are trails on land or water. Still others serve to protect
the environment and aren't designed for people to use. A riparian buffer
corridor - a protective zone of vegetation along the banks of rivers,
streams, and lakes - is an example of that type of greenway. Greenways
differ in their location and function. Overall, a greenway will protect
natural, cultural, and scenic resources, provide recreational benefits,
and enhance the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians.
PA CleanWays is
pleased to partner with DCNR on this greenways project and to contribute
its proven strategies for improving the environment through cleanups,
education, and adoption. Greenways provide benefits to recreation, economic
development, and a healthy environment for all Pennsylvanians, and the
dedicated volunteers of PA CleanWays play an important role in helping
to keep them clean and beautiful.
A total of five
greenways sites will be cleaned through the program this spring, including
sites in Allegheny, Greene, Blair/Huntingdon, Lackawanna, and Westmoreland
Counties.
For more information
on greenways and exciting development of the Pennsylvania Greenways
Program, be sure to visit the program's website at www.pagreenways.org.
This page last updated:
May 28, 2004
