South Mountain Partners To Host Back-to Back Special Events At Pine Grove Furnace State Park

CLICK HERE TO
 REGISTER FOR THE EVENT

GARDNERS, PA -- Pine Grove Furnace State Park and the Appalachian Trail Museum, in conjunction with many of its partners, are preparing for two straight weekends of outdoor events and family programming -- National Get Outdoors Day on Saturday, June 11 and the First Appalachian Trail Festival June 18 & 19.


Pine Grove Furnace State Park, recently named the 2010 State Park of the Year, the South Mountain Partnership, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy are sponsoring National Get Outdoors Day to provide outdoor and education opportunities for the entire family. Events for the day begin at 8:00 a.m. with a half marathon and 5K run to support the Friends of Pine Grove Furnace, a non-profit organization that helps promote volunteerism and assist with events at the park. Other morning events include trail hikes to local scenic vistas and historical sites, a wildflower walk, a historical scavenger hunt and kayaking for beginners.


Lunch will be available at the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy’s newly renovated Ironmaster’s Mansion. Meals will include hamburgers, hotdogs, sloppy Joes, potatoes salad, watermelon, desert and drink for only $7.


Registration is required for all events and, with the exception of the half marathon and 5K run, are free. To register, visit the DCNR Calendar of Events for Pine Grove Furnace State Park at www.dcnr.state.pa.us or call the Park Office at 717-486-7174.


The Appalachian Trail Museum will hold its first festival on June 18-19 at the park. “The festival will celebrate hiker culture and feature a new traveling exhibit developed by the museum,” Zimmerman said. The kick-off for the festival will be the inaugural Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet on the evening of June 17, at Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs. At the banquet, the first class of six honorees will be inducted into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame, which will be located in the museum’s building at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. The festival will feature a hiking program, music, storytelling, crafts, competitions and history programs. There also will be a variety of activities for children on both days. Additional information on the Appalachian Trail Museum and the festival weekend events can be found at www.atmuseum.org.

South Mountain Mini-Grant Workshop to Be Held May 25th, 2011 At 2 PM

GRANT WORKSHOP AVAILABLE TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND NON-PROFITS TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE CENTRAL PA’S NATURAL AND CULTURAL ASSETS

The South Mountain Partnership Mini-Grant program, administered by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), has been awarded additional grant funds from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and will be accepting grant applications until the program deadline of July 31, 2011. This program provides grants that communities and organizations can use to preserve and promote their natural and cultural assets.

An online grant workshop on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 2-3 p.m. will be available to anyone with access to the internet and a telephone.  An RSVP is required to access the online workshop and can be done by:

• Clicking the above "Click Here to Register" button
• Calling the ATC office at 717.258.5771.  The workshop will lay out details of the program and application and allow participants to ask questions.

The South Mountain Partnership Mini-Grant Program has been developed and overseen by the ATC since 2009 to encourage economic development among local communities by funding projects to build trails, conduct outdoor festivals, and develop promotional guides for local agriculture and forest products. $100,000 in grants was awarded since 2009 with over $184,708 in grantee’s match.

In 2011 $150,000 in grants will be available with a required 1:1 match.  The next grant application will be available in January 2011 and applications will be due July 31, 2011. The ATC and DCNR encourage any municipality, non-profit, or learning institution to begin considering projects that may fit the grant criteria. Projects must be located in Cumberland, Franklin, Adams, or York counties.  An application and many other grant resources are available on the Partnership website at www.southmountaincli.blogspot.com.

“The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s grant program emphasizes multi-partner regional collaborations and in result we have seen incredible long term relationships develop.  It is a major goal of the South Mountain Partnership to foster these strong partnerships that steward and promote our assets”, stated Kim Williams, Environmental Planner of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

The ATC and DCNR lead the South Mountain Partnership, an alliance of the private and public sector, non-profits, universities, and local citizens in Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, and Northern York Counties. The Partnership identifies its key role as being a regional facilitator and leader in projects that preserve and promote the natural and cultural assets of the region. ATC was chosen to be the lead of the Partnership because of its local roots and extensive conservation work across Pennsylvania and especially in Central Pennsylvania. 

Funds come from DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnership’s Program and come from both the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener 1) and the Growing Greener Bond Fund (growing Greener 2), and several federal funding sources. 

Next Partnership Meeting: April 20th, 2011

APRIL 20th, 2011 SOUTH MOUNTAIN

PARTNERSHIP-WIDE MEETING & 

MINI-GRANT WORKSHOP
At the Adams County Agricultural

& Natural Resource Center

670 Old Harrisburg Rd., Gettysburg, PA

(CLICK HERE FOR A MAP)

FOR A FULL AGENDA CLICK HERE

South Mountain Partnership-wide meetings are useful for any person or organizations interested in being involved in preserving or promoting our region's precious natural and cultural assets. Some of the benefits of attending these meeting are:

- A networking opportunity.

- A chance to learn about innovative partnerships and partnering opportunities in the region.

- An opportunity to be involved with meaningful projects that celebrate our region's sense of place.

These meetings are free and open to the public, but an RSVP is required.

RESTORING THE CHESTNUT: The chestnut’s story is rooted in catastrophe but survives through our hope & work

Join us at our next South Mountain Speaker Series Event!
FREE EVENT!!! At the Penn National Community, Trellis Terrace, 3720 Clubhouse Drive, Fayettville, PA 
Thursday, April 7, 2011 starting at 7 p.m.