Funding Conservation and Land Use Planning
Pennsylvania mostly has grant programs dedicated to land conservation and one easement program. The bulk of state funding for conservation is through the state Environmental Stewardship Fund. Established under the Growing Greener legislation in 1999 and funded by a permanent municipal waste disposal fee, this fund has in the past allocated between $30 to $40 million to the Bureau of Recreation and Conservation for its Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) program.
Programs and Resources
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Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2)
Pennsylvania is ranked among the top ten most populated and most densely populated states in the nation. At current growth and development rates, the state is experiencing a loss of approximately 300 to 350 acres of open space every day. In order to foster and facilitate conservation and recreation-focused projects and programs in the state, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PDCNR) authorized the C2P2 program.
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Wild Resource Conservation Grants
To maintain, manage, enhance and restore Pennsylvania's native wild flora and non-game fauna and their habitats.
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Growing Greener Watershed Grants
The purpose of the grant is to address nonpoint sources of pollution such as abandoned mine drainage, urban and agricultural runoff, atmospheric deposition, on-lot sewage systems, earthmoving, stream hydromodification and timber harvesting through restoration of watersheds and streams, reclaim mined lands, and remediation.
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Farmland Preservation Program
The purpose of this program is to slow the loss of prime farmland to non-agricultural uses. The program enables state, county and local governments to purchase conservation easements, or development rights from owners of quality farmland.