Appalachian Trail Conservancy Announces South Mountain Partnership Mini-grant Awards

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) would like to announce 10 South Mountain Partnership mini-grant awards that will help support development of heritage tourism and conservation projects in the South Mountain region totaling more than $204,000.  All grants are fully matched by grantees and partnering organizations at the local level, thus leveraging other funding to develop new projects and programming consistent with the South Mountain Partnership goals of preserving and promoting natural and cultural assets.

The grant awards, administered by the ATC and funded by state and federal dollars through the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) as part of their Conservation Landscape Initiatives program.  This year’s projects focus on increased access to community and regional trails, development of new tools to promote tourism, preservation of natural and historical assets, and support for the region's agricultural legacy and local food systems. These many facets of the region's heritage earned the South Mountain region spanning Adams, Cumberland, Franklin and northern York Counties a state designation as one of DCNR’s Conservation Landscape Initiatives in 2008.

“This round of the grant program, now in its third year, saw a very competitive pool of applicants which allowed us to award many strong “nexus” projects overlapping multiple South Mountain Partnership goals that contribute to the region’s sense of place and promote our assets,” stated Kim Williams, Environmental Planner with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. “The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is very excited to see a number of diverse partners from the public and private sectors collaborating on projects that address shared goals across interests groups.  We see this type of collaboration as an indication successful long term relationships developing through participation in the South Mountain Partnership.”

The 10 awards given as part of the 2011-2012 South Mountain Mini-Grant round include:

POWER OF THE PARTNERSHIP AWARD: Pine Grove Furnace Partners

The Partnership would like to recognize annually partners and projects that significantly and positively impacted the South Mountain region by contributing to its sense of place through promoting or conserving its natural and cultural assets. We especially looked and asked for nomination for those that leveraged partnering and made it a key to their success. We call this “The Power of the Partnership” award.

This award goes to what we like to call the “dream team of Partnerships”. This is the Pine Grove Furnace team which being recognized for their outstanding partnership activities that directly support the vision of the South Mountain Partnership. Pine Grove Furnace State Park, located at the mid-way point of the Appalachian Trail is nestled in Michaux State Forest and has been a conduit for other important projects of interest.

The Partnership have played collaborative roles in supporting Pine Grove Furnace State Park, the Cumberland County Historical Society for Camp Michaux, Central Pennsylvania Conservancy for the Iron Master’s Mansion and the AT Museum. Together, they have become a regional hub for tourism. The addition of these three incredibly rich heritage sites, and the Friends Group, is exactly what the South Mountain Partnership is all about. This partnership’s cumulative efforts promotes local agriculture through educational programs; promotes and preserves cultural heritage, conserves natural resources, promotes and develops recreational opportunities and develops business and tourism opportunities for over 500,000 visitors. 

POWER OF THE PARTNERSHIP AWARD: Cumberland County Land Partners

Awarded organizations: (below) Cumberland
County Commissioners and Cumberland
County Planning Department were
awarded as well as (above) the
Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau

The Partnership would like to recognize annually partners and projects that significantly and positively impacted the South Mountain region by contributing to its sense of place through promoting or conserving its natural and cultural assets.We especially looked and asked for nomination for those that leveraged partnering and made it a key to their success. We call this “The Power of the Partnership” award.

In April 2006, the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners adopted Land Partnerships, a countywide strategy designed to maintain and improve the quality of life in Cumberland County through preservation and smart growth planning. The plan seeks to encourage action in the community and facilitate partnerships among governments, non-profit organizations, businesses and landowners to achieve a common vision. 

The goals of Land Partnerships are organized around four key areas: Farmland Preservation, Natural Resource Protection, Parks, Trails and Greenways and Livable Communities. The Farmland Preservation component centers on preserving our working farms and supporting the agricultural community so agriculture remains viable in the County.

Since 2006 these groups have made significant strides toward implementation of the Land Partnerships farmland preservation goals including but not limited to the following initiatives:

"In The Spirit of South Mountain" Award Given to Middlesex Township

Denise Jumper, representing Middlesex Township

This award goes to Middlesex Township. We applaud your efforts and tremendous partnering spirit!

The Appalachian National Scenic Trail cuts across the Cumberland Valley, running through some of the most populated and developed portions of the extent of the 2,180 mile Trail. The Trail is the Cumberland Valley is extremely used and loved, but it is not always obvious how you can access the Trail. In 2011 the Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club pondered how they might develop a better access point on Trindle Road as an all volunteer organization.

CVATC contacted Middlesex to obtain their consent and endorsement of their plan to build a parking lot at the junction of the Appalachian Trail and Trindle Road (PA Route 641), between Mechanicsburg and Carlisle. To their surprise, they have gone much further. They have provided significant in-kind services to actually construct the parking lot.

Middlesex has used their workers and equipment to perform the initial excavation and construction work at the site, including hauling stone and gravel from the quarry and installing it. CVATC estimate the value of their in-kind services at almost $6,000, with more to come.

Their cooperation has helped to promote and develop recreation and tourism opportunities in the Cumberland Valley. Trindle Road is one of the busiest highways in the Valley. It has long needed a formal parking lot at the A.T. junction. CVATC estimates that hundreds of thousands of locals and tourists use the AT in the Valley each year.