Chesco Gets $3.2M For Open Space Preservation and Park Upgrades

WEST CHESTER , PA —Walkers, bikers, exercise enthusiasts and nature lovers will be happy to hear the Chester County commissioners recently awarded $3.2 million in grants for open-space preservation and park upgrades.

The grants awarded through the Chester County Preservation Partnership Program.include funds for connections to the Chester Valley Trail and upgrades to the parking for the Schuylkill Valley Trail.

“The pandemic has made all of us more aware and appreciative of the importance of having outdoor spaces both for recreation and preserving our natural resources,” Commissioner Josh Maxwell said in a prepared statement. “Our preserves and our trails are vital in the care of our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.”

Marian Moskowitz, commissioner chairwoman, said: “One reason we continue to attract so many people to live, work, and visit here is the commitment we make to protecting our land and providing superior recreational opportunities for families to enjoy.”

Commissioner Michelle Kichline said that it almost feels overwhelming to comprehend that almost 33% of the county’s land is permanently preserved.

“We have not achieved that position by accident,” she said. “It has taken a long-term, intentional effort.”

The county covers 759 square miles and includes a population of 533,698.

The grant projects include:

• East Coventry Township: $203,609 for the first phase of planned improvements to Towpath Park on Route 724, including the construction of a new 85-space stone-surface parking lot for the path and Schuylkill River Trail.
• East Goshen Township: $60,063 for improvements at its Township Park on Paoli Pike, including the installation of six permanent pickleball courts and one permanent tennis court also lined for two pickleball courts.
• Elk Township: $327,172 for the162-acre Martin Six Associates property to be added to the Big Elk Creek section of the White Clay Creek Preserve. The property will be open to the public for low-impact recreation, protecting the property’s extensive natural resources.
• Kennett Area Park Authority: $16,317 for the Ash Grove project to include replanting of 125 native trees to replace trees that have fallen victim to the emerald ash boring beetle.
• London Grove Township: $12,629 to construct several trail connections to the Inniscrone Golf Club trail system. West Grove Borough: $100,000 to purchase a 3.4-acre property for an addition to the borough’s 8.9-acre Harmony Park.
• West Vincent Township: $250,000 for improvements to the 72-acre Opalanie Park including ADA improvements and trail connections to Natural Lands’ Bryn Coed IPreserve.
• West Whiteland Township: $250,000 for the second phase of planned improvements to its Exton Park Swedesford Recreation Area, including a trail connection to the County’s Chester Valley Trail.
• The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art: $46,500 to construct a canoe and kayak launch facility on the Brandywine Creek in Birmingham Township. A parking area will also be included in the project.
• Brandywine Red Clay Alliance: $189,480 for a 29.6-acre conservation easement on the Johnson property in London Britain Township, including a public access trail corridor eventually connecting to the White Clay Creek Preserve’ and $27,000 for the construction of a gravel parking lot at the recently opened Little Elk Creek Preserve in Elk Township.
• French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust: $119,020 for a 37.4-acre conservation easement on the Nesspor farm in East Coventry Township; and $640,000 for a conservation easement on the 126-acre Camp Innabah property in East Vincent
• Natural Lands: $289,400 for a 41.6-acre conservation easement, including a public trail corridor, on the Aguilar property in East Nantmeal Township; $491,500 for a 97.2-acre conservation easement, including a public trail corridor, on the Keen property in East Nantmeal Township; $17,500 for a conservation easement on the 10-acre Brown-Shire property
• Warwick Township: $17,553 for the creation of 22.5 acres of pollinator meadows at the publicly accessible ChesLen Preserve in Newlin Township.
• Open Lands Conservancy of Chester County: $10,999 for expenses relating to the fee simple donation of a 10.8-acre wooded property in Charlestown and East Whiteland Townships that will become a publicly accessible nature preserve.
• Willistown Conservation Trust: $125,000 to acquire 7 acres in Willistown Township to add to the publicly accessible 95-acre Kirkwood Preserve; and $48,575 for restoration of the heavily used main trail through the publicly accessible 86-acre Rushton Woods Preserve in Willistown Township.