Pennsylvania DCNR Marks Completion of Chester County Section of Schuylkill River Trail

PARKERFORD, Pa., Oct. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Deputy Secretary John Giordano today congratulated Chester County for the completion of a 5.6-mile segment of the Schuylkill River Trail, linking Phoenixville to Pottstown.  

The vision for the Schuylkill River Trail is that it will be seamless along the Schuylkill River from Delaware County, through Philadelphia, to Montgomery and Chester counties, proceeding on to Reading, Berks County, and eventually to the headwaters of the river in Schuylkill County.  

"Now that this section of the trail is complete, we expect these newly linked towns to see business growth and jobs that are driven by these unique and attractive places," Giordano said. "We should see an increased volume of trail users who want to eat, visit the towns, connect to other sites and perhaps spend the night."  

DCNR invested in the project through a $406,035 Community Conservation Partnerships Program grant to Chester County.

The new trail section is 10- to 12-feet wide on a rail bed owned by PECO and under easement to Chester County. It incorporates a number of green features, including using existing hardscape, no tree removals, planting warm-season grasses instead of typical blue grasses, and eliminating excavation during construction by using the existing gravel path and drainage networks.

DCNR's grant to the Schuylkill River Trail and associated greenway was made possible through the department's Community Conservation Partnerships Program that is supported by the Keystone Fund. It advances efforts in the Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape Initiative to work with public and private partners on land conservation, locally-driven planning and community economic revitalization efforts that protect natural resources and cultural assets.  

In addition to having large populations, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Lebanon, Lancaster, Lehigh and Montgomery counties are home to critical unprotected lands such as source waters and contiguous forested lands and key habitats in what is known as the Hopewell Big Woods. The Schuylkill Highlands effort hopes to protect what is special in this region by saving high-quality lands and connecting people and communities through a network of trails and gateway communities.

For more information about DCNR grants or the Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape Initiative, visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us.

Media contact: Christina Novak, 717-772-9101

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

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