Resources
PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resouces​
DCNR’s Bureau of Recreation and Conservation (BRC) builds connections between citizens and the outdoors through recreation enhancement, natural resource conservation, and community revitalization efforts.
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BRC partners with communities and organizations across Pennsylvania to provide grants and technical assistance support for local recreation projects, trails and greenways, heritage areas, open space, river conservation, and environmental education programs.
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Please visit https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/about/Pages/Recreation-and-Conservation.aspx for information.
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Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition
The vision of the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition (IHTC) is to establish the Industrial Heartland as a premier destination offering a 1,500-miles-plus multiuse trail network experience.
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The IHTC network will stretch across 51 counties in four states - Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and New York - from the shores of Lake Erie to the confluence of the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh and on to the Ohio River and Appalachian foothills.
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More information can be found at https://www.railstotrails.org/our-work/trailnation/industrial-heartland-trails-coalition.
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Rails to Trails Conservancy​
Since 1986, RTC has worked to bring the power of trails to more communities across the country, serving as the national voice for the rail-trail movement. For three decades, RTC has served as the national voice for trails, setting the precedent that rail-trails are need-to-have community assets and establishing policies and practices that ensure these trails are built.
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Check out the Rails to Trails Conservancy at https://www.railstotrails.org to learn more.
Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission
The Northwest Commission is a Local Development District serving an eight-county (Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Forest, Lawerence, Mercer, Venango, Warren) region of Northwest Pennsylvania. This website is designed to provide an overview of the programs and services administered by the Northwest Commission and guidance on how to take advantage of them.
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You can find additional information at http://www.northwestpa.org.
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Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission is the regional planning agency serving the 10-county Southwestern Pennsylvania region. As the official Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), SPC directs the use of state and federal transportation and economic development funds allocated to the region—approximately $35 billion through 2045. SPC helps counties, cities, municipalities, and townships access state and federal transportation funds.
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SPC’s ten-county region includes the City of Pittsburgh and the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland.
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Please visit https://www.spcregion.org for more information.