The Commissioners of Chester County, Pennsylvania offer two distinct programs that provide funding to municipalities and nonprofit land conservation organizations to permanently preserve significant natural, recreational, agricultural, historic, and cultural land resources; enhance public access to those lands; provide public benefit; and implement County and municipal land use policies.
Donor Name: Chester County Department of Parks and Preservation
State: Pennsylvania
County: Chester County (PA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/29/2024
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
The programs are administered by the Department of Parks and Preservation.
- Municipal Program: The Municipal Program advances the County’s Strategic Plan by awarding funds to local governments to assist them with providing parks, trails, and preserves for their citizens.
- Acquisition Grants
- Acquisition grants fund a maximum of 50% of the appraised value to buy land, conservation easements, or trail easements plus eligible transaction costs.
- Park and Trail Improvement Grants
- Park and Trail Improvement Grants fund park facility and trail construction costs at a maximum of 50% up to $250,000 for parks of 20 or more contiguous acres, and a maximum of 25% up to $100,000 for parks less than 20 acres.
- Acquisition Grants
- Conservancy Program: The Conservancy Program advances the County’s Strategic Plan by awarding funds to nonprofit land conservation organizations to assist them with preserving land and connecting people to the land.
- Acquisition Grants
- Natural Area Preservation grants fund a maximum of 50% of the appraised value to buy land, conservation easements, or trail easements plus eligible transaction costs.
- Farmland Preservation grants fund up to the lesser of $3,000 per acre or 33% of the appraised value, plus eligible transaction costs for easement purchases and up to the lesser of $5,000 per acre or 33% of the appraised value, plus eligible transaction costs for fee simple purchases.
- Public Benefit Improvement Grants
- Public Benefit Improvement Grants fund up to 50% of eligible costs with a $50,000 maximum for the construction of publicly accessible trails and trail-related amenities, and for nature-based improvements on permanently preserved land that will benefit water quality or contribute to habitat restoration.
- Acquisition Grants
Contract Length
The contract length is three (3) years from the date the grant is awarded.
Eligible Projects
- Fee simple acquisition of privately owned land for public access and benefit.
- Acquisition of conservation easements with provisions for public access.
- Acquisition of right-of-way easements for public recreational use (i.e. trails).
- Fee simple acquisition of eased or restricted property, if ownership will significantly increase public access and recreational opportunities on the property.
- Fee simple acquisition of land owned by non-County governmental agencies, if ownership will significantly increase public access and recreational opportunities on the property.
- Transaction costs associated with eligible projects involving the full donation of land or easement to the municipality, up to the limits established by this program. To be eligible, the project must conform to all Preservation Partnership Grant requirements and the County must retain a legal interest in the land or easement.
Eligibility Criteria
- Chester County municipalities (individual or joint applicants)
- Land-owning municipal recreation authorities.
Ineligible Projects
- Parcels whose preservation is not consistent with the applicant’s or County’s adopted policies.
- Projects concluded by a signed deed before the County Commissioners have awarded a grant, unless a Waiver for Retroactivity has been granted.
- Leases, term easements, or other legal instruments where the acquisition is not in perpetuity.
- The purchase of any structure of monetary value and its appurtenant land, regardless of its proposed use, including storage sheds, garages, and barns.
- A parcel that is known or suspected to be contaminated with hazardous substances or hazardous waste unless it has received DEP Act 2 clearance for the proposed use.
- Facade easements.
- Private rights-of-way.
- Lands under County ownership or where Chester County has a legal interest in the property.
For more information, visit CCPP.
