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420 Holmes Street Willowbank Office Building CENTRE COUNTY OFFICE OF PLANNING www.co.centre.pa.us Planning and Implementation Partners Development of a greenway and trails network can be costly and may require long-term implementation strategies that tap into a variety of Federal, State, local, and other various sources. Funding pro- grams and sources are commonly de- signed to conserve natural resources, develop recreational and passive trails, create alternative modes of transporta- tion and transportation improvements, interpret and/or restore and protect his- toric and cultural resources, protect envi- ronmentally sensitive species and restore and enhance opportunties for green in- frastructure. The funding chapter pro- vides examples of all of these types of funding sources with contact informa- tion. Potential Funding Sources It is critical that any funding strategy, one which of course works best for all parties involved , should try to leverage some local resources as well. Non-profit and private foundations within communities and regionally are important sources of funding that should not be disregarded when pulling together funding strategies. Private-public partnerships as well as in- kind and cash contributions from local businesses and stakeholders within the community is highly recommended. Most grants are looked upon much more favorable and scored higher with a greater chance of being awared the funds when there are multiple partners involved. Page 8 Page 8 BRC-TAG-10-46 CENTRE COUNTY RECREATION & GREENWAY PLAN Executive Summary This project was funded in part by a grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources—Bureau of Recreation and Conservation and the Centre County Commissioners. The Plan was prepared by the Centre County Office of Planning & Community Development August 2009 and a joint initiative of the Centre County Commissioners and the Centre County Planning Commission BRC-TAG-10-46 “Connecting our people, our communities, and our environment with Greenways and Trails” BRC-TAG-10-46 ---PAGE BREAK--- Greenways Program was launched in August 2001 with the com- pletion of a statewide green- ways action plan, Greenways - An Action Plan for Creating Con- nections." The governor amended Executive Order 1998-3 identifying the Penn- sylvania Department of Con- servation and Natural Re- sources (DCNR) as the lead agency responsible for Ac- tion Plan implementation. The state has funded (with matching monies) approxi- mately forty committed, on- going, and completed plans throughout the Common- wealth. Greenways will become one of the Common- wealth's most powerful tools to achieve sustainable growth and livable communities. Centre County, following this direction and with fund- ing from the DCNR and the Centre County Board of Commissioners, prepared the first Countywide Greenway & Recreation Plan in 2009. This Executive Summary highlights important aspects of the plan. A greenway is a corridor of open space. Greenways very greatly in scale; from narrow ribbons of green that run through urban, suburban, and rural areas; to wider corridors that incorporate diverse natu- ral, cultural, and scenic fea- tures. They can incorporate both public and private prop- erty, and can be land-or wa- ter-based. They may follow old railways, canals, or ridge tops, or they may follow stream corridors, shorelines, or wetlands, and include wa- ter trails for non-motorized craft. Some greenways are recreational corridors or sce- nic byways that may accom- modate motorized or non- motorized vehicles. Others function almost exclusively for environmental protection and are not designed for hu- man passage. What is a Greenway Plan? Vision and Goals of the Greenway Plan VISION STATEMENT Centre County is a model of resource conservation and outdoor recreation in Central The abundant natural and cultural re- sources, rural landscape, ac- cess to public lands, munici- pal parks, and an intercon- nected system of greenway and trails serve as the foun- dation for improved quality of life for the people who live, work, and visit Centre County. GOALS OF THE RECREATION & GREENWAY PLAN Utilize information and tools from the Greenway Plan for recreation planning to link communities, parks, schools, natural areas, and historic sites Establish links to future Greenway networks and facili- ties in surrounding counties. Identify specific locations for wildlife viewing, scenic views and viewsheds, and areas of historic significance Guide feasibility studies and implementation that may develop out of recommenda- tions of the Greenway plan Ensure consistency with the Centre County Compre- hensive Plan and Future Growth Management Plan. Page 1 Viaduct bridge along Snow Shoe Rail Trail By linking open spaces we can achieve a whole that is better than the sum of the parts.— William Whyte, The Last Landscape, 1968 Historic Schoolhouse—Black Moshannon State Park Historic Iron Furnaces in Centre County 1. Bellefonte Furnace 2. Centre Furnace 3. Cold Stream Furnace 4. Curtin Iron Works 5. Hannah Furnace 6. Harmony Forge 7. Hecla Furnace 8. Howard Iron Works 9. Julian Furnace 10. Logan Furnace 11. Martha Furnace 12. Milesburg furnace 13. Furnace 14. Plumbe Forge 15. Rock Iron Works 16. Scotia Iron Works 17. Turner Iron Works 18. Tussey Furnace 19. Valentine & Thomas Iron Works Greenways and Trails are developed by: • Public Participation • Greenway Steering Com- mittee • Key Person Interviews • Surveys • Public Meetings Mural Borough of Millheim These sites below have the potential to provide local heri- tage for greenway and trail users Page 1 The Lewisburg to Tyrone Railroad Recreation Corri- dor is proposed to connect the village of Lemont (College Township) east through Penns Valley to Ingleby, Haines Township or alternatively, the village of Ingleby west to the vil- lage of Lemont and hub of State College. The long term goal for this corridor would be to have a multi-use trail throughout the entire 26.3 miles offering residents and visitors a wealth of recreational ex- periences throughout the corridor and connections to nearby towns and villages. A more specific look at the recreation corridor will fo- cus near the village of Spring Mills in Gregg Town- ship, where a group of local officials have been proac- tively obtaining easements along this abandoned rail alignment for the purposes of future trail development. The landscape varies greatly throughout the entire corri- dor. This chapter will de- scribe the land use, land- scape and natural features, and property ownership in each of the seven townships the corridor passes through. By utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), staff were able to look at the entire corridor parcel-by- parcel. The County updated the GIS land use layer in 2009 and this layer served to identify the land use along the entire 26.3 mile corri- dor. Recreation Corridor Demonstration Project Demonstration Segment—Spring Mills Section Page 7 Former Railroad Right-of-way - Gregg Township—Demonstration Corridor ---PAGE BREAK--- The prioritization of the Conservation Corridors is put forward as a guide for the County, municipalities, non-profits, and other inter- ested stakeholders to assist in directing efforts towards establishing greenways. Based on the final ranking chart described within the plan, implementation of the Chapter 3 recommendations for the Conservation Corri- dors are prioritized as Exep- tional, Significant, High,and Medium Priority. Exceptional Priority Corridors: 1 to 3 years • Spring Creek • Penns Creek • Bald Eagle Creek • Beech Creek Significant Priority Corridors: 3 to 5 years • Pine Creek • Black Moshannon Creek • Little Fishing Creek • West Branch Susque- hanna River • Lick Run • Slab Cabin Run • Elk Creek • Roaring Run (Centre Region) • Wallace Run • Buffalo Run High Priority Corridors: 5 to 7 years • Galbraith Gap Run • Logan Branch • Moshannon Creek • Panther Run • Roaring Run (Penns Valley • Sinking Creek • Cold Stream Conservation Corridor Prioritization Recreation Corridors Page 6 • Spruce Creek • Yost Run Medium Priority Corridors: 5 to 7 years • Big Fill Run • Black Bear Run • Laurel Run • Marsh Creek • Musser Gap • Nittany Creek • Six Mile Run • Cedar Run Recreation Corridors: Length Comparison in miles 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Detweiler/Patton Woods M usser Link/M id-State to Woodward BCRT to Arboretum/Zerby to Zerby Gap Salt Lick Trail/PV School Link M id-State to Colyer Lake Blue Ball Gap/Scotia Link Orviston to Romola/SSRT to Bloody Skillet M id-State to Whipple Dam SSRT Ext/Wallaceton M id-State to Greenwood Spring M ills/Krislund Camp BCRT/SSRT Phililpsburg Houtzdale Line Rail Trail Sandy Ridge Railroad Spur Brick Town Trail/Beech Creek Penns Valley Rail Trail Glen Iron toM cCalls Dam/Canal Tour Snow Shoe Rail Trail Allegheny Front Trail Chuck Keiper Trail M id-State Trail Existing and potential greenway recreation corridors were inventoried, analyzed, and described in detail in Chapter 3 – “Assembling the Greenway Network”. This process included a detailed documentation of each existing and/or proposed corridor along with recommendations for further expanding and development of the proposed recreation corridors. The proposed configuration of recreation corridors provide alternative, environmentally friendly transportation options for residents and visitors. The recreation corridors include shared use paths and foot paths (pedestrian only connections). No other conservation initia- tive provides so many eco- logical, economic, and qual- ity of life benefits to the communities that create them. Greenways not only protect environmentally significant land and native plants and animals, they also link people with the natural world and outdoor recrea- tional opportunities. Rec- reation and Greenways pro- vides connectivity between municipalities promotes healthier lifestyles, and stronger connections to historic places. Greenways can also: ♦ Create local economic development partnerships ♦ Build new partnerships within communities ♦ Create connections through our neighboring six counties ♦ Address the growing obe- sity problem America is facing ♦ Sustain our environment for future generations ♦ Provide vegetative buffers to protect water resources from non-point pollution ♦ Provide opportunities to protect and mange wildlife, forest, and ecological systems ♦ Protect and preserve com- munities rural and farmland legacy ♦ Offer alternatives to auto- motive transportation ♦ Create educational oppor- tunities outside the classroom ♦ Provide recreational op- portunities for families that also foster heath and wellness ♦ Enhance surrounding property values ♦ Stimulate tourism ♦ Preserve biodiversity • Direct growth Benefits of Recreation & Greenways Types of Corridors identified within the plan Recreation Corridors Recreation corridors are defined as corridors where trail development is sug- gested, either land or water- based. These trails provide the opportunities such as: walking, hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, horseback riding, sightsee- ing, wildlife watching, snowmobiling, and ATV use. Recreation corridors connect people to places. Within the county these cor- ridors link what we have defined as hubs (boroughs, downtowns, historic sites, parks, and recreations areas) to destinations that can be recreational, educational, cultural and historical in nature. Recreation corridors also provide alternative and safe modes of transportation for residents and tourists. In a few instances there are recreation corridors that overlap with conservation corridors --those identified for low impact use such as canoeing/kayaking, fishing, and wildlife viewing. There may be a feasible recreation corridor suggested adjacent to a stream but only if no adverse environmental im- pacts would result. There are twenty nine (29) proposed recreation corridors that include: existing designated trails, proposed trails, his- toric destinations, aban- doned railroad and canal routes, streams, and state park and state forest lands. The recreation corridors identified provide connec- tivity to many neighboring counties. Transportation Corridors Transportation Corridors within the County are identi- fied as linear corridors that include PA Bike Routes (Penn DOT) and suggested scenic and thematic driving tours. Each of the desig- nated routes provides a con- nection to either Cameron, Clearfield, Clinton, Hunting- don, Mifflin and/or Union counties. Conservation Corridors Conservation corridors are linear corridors that are ecol- ogically important and their primary function is preser- vation of sensitive habitats and environmental features such as: wetlands, natural heritage inventory sites, high quality and exceptional value streams, riparian buff- ers, and steep slopes and ridges. These types of corri- dors typically are used for passive recreation for their aesthetic value and/or low impact recreation such as hiking, kayaking, birding, and photographing wildlife. Mountain biking, snowmo- biling, horseback riding, and ATV use would be discour- aged in a Conservation Cor- ridor. Thirty two (32) corri- dors were identified within the county, most of which provide connectivity to sur- rounding counties. Page 2 For bicycle and pedes- trian facilities to be truly functional as routes between work, home, school, libraries, parks and shopping areas, they must be part of an interconnected network.—Amanda Eaken and Joshua Hart, Tunnels on Trails: A Study of 78 Tunnels on 36 Trails in the United States, 2001 BicyclePa Route V—Heading East on Pa Route 192 in Centre County near the Union County line Wild Orchid ---PAGE BREAK---