October 21, 2026

Governor Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn recently visited the future site of Swatara Crossings Park in Dauphin County to announce $81 million in new Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) grants.

The grants will support more than 300 recreation and conservation projects across 60 Pennsylvania counties. The projects will help communities improve parks and playgrounds, build and repair trails, conserve open space, restore rivers and watersheds, and grow local economies through outdoor recreation.

If you haven’t signed up yet for the annual Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) grant workshop, time is running out. The free, virtual workshop will take place on Thursday, November 5 from 9:00 AM to noon.

Pre-registration is required to ensure participants receive workshop sign-in information and materials.

You can register for the workshop on the DCNR Events page.

The workshop will focus on the 2027 grant round, which will open on Monday, January 11 and will close Friday, April 30. Anyone interested in applying for these grants in 2027 is strongly encouraged to attend.

Even if you’ve attended in the past, it’s worth attending again this year. Several changes are coming to the C2P2 grant application in 2027. The workshop will go over those changes and offer tips on how to make your application more competitive.

Logan Township, Blair County is excited for the opening of their new Strawberry Hills Soccer Complex.

Formerly an abandoned brownfield, the land the complex sits on was donated to the township in 2015.

Three years later, the community began a master plan for a future park. At the time, the surrounding area lacked a park within walking distance for residents.

The planning process revealed that about 1,500 youth play soccer in the Blair County area, but there weren’t enough fields to accommodate all the games and tournaments.

Using the plan, the township secured multiple state grants to help them complete the $2.3 million renovation. State sources came from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).

DCNR support for the project came from the federally funded Land and Water Conservation Fund. The recently announced 2026 Community Conservation Partnerships Program grants include additional funding to further develop the site.

“The township is proud to be able to work with the DCNR and DCED to create the Strawberry Hills Soccer Complex,” said Cassandra Schmick, Director of Planning and Zoning for Logan Township. “The complex includes a wide range of outdoor recreation activities that will be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities for years to come.”

The complex features two full-size, regulation soccer fields, a large playground, and a walking path. The path is unique because it’s made of sand, recycled rubber, stone, and a bonding agent. The result is a low maintenance, pervious path that adds green and sustainable infrastructure to the park.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Recreation and Conservation is excited to welcome Amanda Gardner as the new Rivers Grant Manager.

For the past decade, Amanda has directed river and land restoration efforts and led local community initiatives in Idaho.

Amanda is an AmeriCorps alumnus and a Shepard University graduate. She double-majored in Environmental Sustainability and Commercial Recreation and Tourism. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Project Management.