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Recreation for all.

Featured Project: Whitehall Road Regional Park to Debut All-Abilities Playground
play equipment at Whitehall Road Regional Park
ramp leading to more play equipment at Whitehall Road Regional Park
Centre Region Parks and Recreation Authority will soon open an impressive all-abilities playground at Whitehall Road Regional Park.
Located in Ferguson Township, Centre County, the goal with this playground is to break barriers to allow children to play together.
From the ADA-accessible parking and pathways into the playground to the accessible safety surface, the playground pays attention to the details. Equipment includes swings for parents to use with children and many wheelchair-accessible elements and play structures.
“There are zip lines, swings, ‘we-go’ round (a more inclusive merry-go-round), and swings for anyone in a wheelchair to transfer into,” explains Centre Region Parks and Recreation Director Kristy Owens. “At least 20 ground components provide acccess for someone who is not able to leave their wheelchair.”
DCNR has a long history with the 100-acre Whitehall Road Regional Park. Since 2006, agency grants have helped fund two separate acquisitions, master site development planning, and several phases of construction.
Funding came from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund.
The playground is not currently open to the public. Owens expects the park to open later this summer or fall.
For more information, visit the Whitehall Road Regional Park website.

Fall ATV/Snowmobile Grant Round Now Open

Person riding an ATV over a rocky trail
person riding a snowmobile and waving
DCNR is now accepting applications for the fall round of All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) and Snowmobile Program grants.
Eligible applicants include for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations, and municipalities in Pennsylvania.
Proposed projects eligible for these grants include planning, land acquisition, development, rehabilitation, maintenance, equipment purchase for maintenance, and educational programs related to snowmobile and ATV trails and facilities.
Funding for these grants comes from the ATV and Snowmobile Restricted Accounts, which are funded through registration fees that riders pay.
Grant funds will be awarded through a competitive process. Apply online using the DCNR Grants Customer Service Portal.
The application deadline is 4:00 PM on Monday, September 30.

Featured Project: Creating Close-to-Home Recreation Access in Reading
Welcome sign for the Gibraltar Hill Tract of William Penn State Forest
Not everyone has the time or resources to pack up the family and drive hours away for an outdoor escape. But with some help from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, those living in the Reading area have expanded recreational opportunities close to home.
The Gibraltar Hill tract of William Penn State Forest offers publicly available open space less than four miles from downtown Reading. The property is easily accessible with a direct link along the Schuylkill River Trail.
Recent acquisitions have expanded the tract to more than 400 acres. The larger property features extensive opportunities for hiking, wildlife viewing, and hunting.
Funding for the expansion came from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through its Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program, as well as from DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program.

2025 PRPS Conference Proposal Submissions Open
The Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society (PRPS) is accepting proposals for educational sessions at their 2025 annual conference.
The conference will be held March 16-19, 2025 in Hershey. It hosts around 400 park and recreation professionals each year. The 2025 conference theme is “PRPS University: Unlocking Potential. Shaping Tomorrow.”
DCNR supports the conference through a Partnership grant to PRPS.
Proposal submissions are due Friday, August 30. To submit a proposal, use the PRPS submission online form.

DCNR Welcomes Cait Handlin
Cait Handlin portrait
The DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation welcomes Cait Handlin to the Community Parks and Recreation Section.
Cait previously worked for the Appalachian Mountain Club as the Mid-Atlantic Trail Coordinator, where she was responsible for advancing trail projects along the Pennsylvania Highlands Trail.
She also worked as the Business Development and Public Affairs Manager writing grants for ACLAMO, a nonprofit organization that serves the Latino population in social services in Montgomery and Chester Counties.
In her free time, Cait loves biking and climbing. She also volunteers with South Central Pennsylvania Climbers as their secretary and community ambassador.
Cait has two bachelor's degrees from West Chester University in Cultural Anthropology and Spanish. Her favorite place in Pennsylvania is Michaux State Forest.

Dates to Remember
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Infographic promoting open registration for DCNR's annual grant workshop
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