NOTICES
Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund; Land Trust Grant Program
[29 Pa.B. 3744] The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has announced an open application period for the 1999--2000 fiscal year of funding for land trust projects from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation (Keystone) Fund. The Keystone Land Trust Grant Program is administered by DCNR's Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.
DCNR has mailed an announcement of this open application period, program manual and application forms to the following 62 organizations which are pre-qualified as eligible land trust applicants. The deadline for receipt of completed grant applications by DCNR is 5 p.m. on September 17, 1999. No applications will be accepted by FAX.
Allegheny Land Trust (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
American Farmland Trust (Washington, D. C.)
Armstrong County Conservancy (Kittanning, Pa.)
Back Mountain Regional Land Trust (Shavertown, Pa.)
Berks County Conservancy (Wyomissing, Pa.)
Brandywine Conservancy (Chadds Ford, Pa.)
Brandywine Valley Association (West Chester, Pa.)
Buck Hill Conservation Foundation (Buck Hill Falls, Pa.)
Central Pennsylvania Conservancy (Harrisburg, Pa.)
Chartiers Nature Conservancy (Crafton, Pa.)
ClearWater Conservancy (State College, Pa.)
Conneaut Lake--French Creek Valley Conservancy
(Conneaut Lake, Pa.)Conservation Fund (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Countryside Conservancy (Waverly, Pa.)
Delaware Highlands Conservancy (Milanville, Pa.)
Delaware Nature Conservancy (Hockessin, De.)
Ecologically Concerned of Zelienople (Butler, Pa.)
Edward L. Rose Conservancy (Brackney, Pa.)
Elk Creeks Watershed Association (Lewisville, Pa.)
Farm and Natural Lands Trust (York, Pa.)
Fox Chapel Land Conservation Trust (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust
(Pottstown, Pa.)Friends of Pennypack Park (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Friends of the Wissahickon (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association (Kempton, Pa.)
Headwaters Charitable Trust (DuBois, Pa.)
Heritage Conservancy (Doylestown, Pa.)
Hollow Oak Land Trust (Moon Township, Pa.)
Lacawac Sanctuary Foundation (Lake Ariel, Pa.)
Lackawanna River Corridor Association (Mayfield, Pa.)
Lackawanna Valley Conservancy (Scranton, Pa.)
Lancaster County Conservancy (Lancaster, Pa.)
Loyalhanna Watershed Association (Ligonier, Pa.)
Merrill W. Linn Land & Waterways Conservancy
(Lewisburg, Pa.)Moraine Preservation Fund (Zelienople, Pa.)
Mount Nittany Conservancy (State College, Pa.)
National Audubon Society (Camp Hill, Pa.)
Natural Lands Trust (Media, Pa.)
Neighborhood Gardens Association (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (Williamsport,
Pa.)Northern Allegheny Conservation Association (Warren,
Pa.)Open Land Conservancy of Chester County (Paoli, Pa.)
Penn Soil Conservancy Charitable Trust (Clarion, Pa.)
Pennsylvania Environmental Council (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust (Huntingdon
Valley, Pa.)Perkiomen Valley Watershed Association (Schwenksville,
Pa.)Pine Creek Valley Watershed Association (Oley, Pa.)
Presque Isle Audubon Society (Erie, Pa.)
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (Harrisburg, Pa.)
Red Clay Valley Association (West Chester, Pa.)
Roaring Run Watershed Association (Spring Church, Pa.)
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (Missoula, Mt.)
Schuylkill River Greenway Association (Wyomissing, Pa.)
Scott Conservancy (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Southern Alleghenies Conservancy (Bedford, Pa.)
Strawberry Hill Foundation (Fairfield, Pa.)
The Nature Conservancy (Conshohocken, Pa.)
Trust for Public Land (Washington, D. C.)
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
White Clay Watershed Association (Landenberg, Pa.)
Wildlands Conservancy (Emmaus, Pa.)
Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association (Ambler, Pa.)
The Keystone Fund was established by passage of the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund Act (Act 1993-50) signed on July 2, 1993. On November 2, 1993, the voters of the Commonwealth overwhelmingly approved a public referendum incurring bond indebtedness by the Commonwealth in the amount of $50 million to provide for the funding of nature preserves and wildlife habitats, and for improvements to and expansion of State parks, community parks and recreation facilities, historic sites, zoos and public libraries. The Keystone Fund is currently supported by a 15% allocation from the State Realty Transfer Tax revenues. DCNR receives 10% of the State Realty Transfer Tax allocation for matching grants to assist land trusts with planning and acquisition projects involving natural areas and open space. Approximately $4 million will be available in this sixth round of funding for land trust projects.
DCNR shall encourage and promote cooperative partnerships with local interests for all grant projects involving the acquisition of land; and in the administration of these grants, generally not award funds in cases where local elected officials have expressed opposition to the proposed land acquisition.
A land trust is defined in Act 1993-50 as a nonprofit conservation or preservation organization, conservancy or land trust whose primary purpose is the conservation and preservation of open space, park lands or natural areas for public benefit. To qualify for Keystone funding, a land trust must be tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; registered with the Bureau of Charitable Organizations, Department of State; and in existence for at least 5 consecutive years.
Land trusts must prequalify as eligible applicants in accordance with procedures announced in 24 Pa.B. 4216 (August 20, 1994). Land trust organizations that are not prequalified for this sixth round of funding may do so prior to announcement of the next open application period. A prequalification form and instructions may be obtained from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, P. O. Box 8475, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8475, (717) 783-2656.
Persons with a disability who wish to submit a land trust prequalification form or grant application and require assistance should contact Darrel J. Siesholtz at (717) 783-2661 to discuss how the Department may best accommodate their needs.
JOHN C. OLIVER,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 99-1131. Filed for public inspection July 16, 1999, 9:00 a.m.]
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