Photo courtesy of Capital Area Greenbelt Association
Two big projects soon will begin on the Capital Area Greenbelt, funded by recent grants from the commonwealth.
On Tuesday, the Capital Area Greenbelt Association (CAGA) announced that it has received more than $280,000 for environmental infrastructure projects centered on two creeks that run through the 24-mile park and trail system.
“We’re extremely grateful to have been selected to receive this grant funding and look forward to the important and long-lasting benefits it will bring to our community through the completion of two key environmental projects,” said CAGA Board President Mike Shaull.
A $230,150 Environmental Stewardship and Watershed Protection (Growing Greener) grant from the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will be used to restore 500 feet of stream bank on Lower Spring Creek near the Ivey Lane Apartment complex. Additional funding from CAGA and Skelly & Loy, Inc. complement the grant, bringing the total project spend to $300,000, according to CAGA.
CAGA shared that it received the competitive grant over more than 200 other eligible applications.
“We were very pleased to see such an interest in watershed restoration and protection. Selecting among the many excellent project proposals was very difficult,” stated the DEP award letter, according to CAGA.
A second grant of $54,600 from the Community Conservation Partnership Program, administered by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), was also awarded.
The funding, coupled with an annual maintenance grant from Harrisburg city and CAGA contributions, will be used to restore the riparian buffer on Lower Spring Creek from 19th to 28th streets, CAGA said. The project, which will include the removal of invasive species and the planting of 1,800 trees and shrubs, will have a total cost of $150,000.
In other Greenbelt news, CAGA stated that the Phoenix Park loop will be closed through April 15 due to construction work related to the “Tiny Home Veterans Village.”
Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania plans to construct a small village of 15 “tiny homes,” plus a community center, to provide housing and support services for homeless veterans.
A rendering of the “tiny home” village planned for the Phoenix Park area
According to CAGA, trail users still will be able to access the Greenbelt to cross the bridge over the railroad tracks coming and going in both directions.
Phoenix Park is an extension of the Greenbelt just beyond the PennDOT building in south Harrisburg along the Susquehanna River.
For more information about the Capital Area Greenbelt Association, visit their website.
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