Pennsylvania Greenways An Action Plan for Creating Connections

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Pennsylvania Greenways Program Update Franklin
County Council of Governments
Meeting September 2004
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Statewide Greenways Plan

• Pennsylvania Greenways
• -- An Action Plan for Creating
  Connections
• Developed by the Greenways Partnership Commission
• June 2001
• Read or download Plan at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/pag
  reenways

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Pennsylvanias Greenways Vision

• To develop an outstanding network of greenways
  across the Commonwealth, creating an asset highly
  valued by Pennsylvanians and enhancing the
  quality of life for all. This network of
  greenways will connect Pennsylvanias open space,
  natural landscape features, scenic, cultural,
  historic and recreational sites, and urban and
  rural community centers. Greenways will become
  one of the Commonwealths most powerful tools to
  achieve sustainable growth and livable
  communities.

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What is a Greenway?

• Linear corridors of open space
• Can incorporate both public and private property

• Can be land or water-based
• May follow old railways, canals, ridge tops,
  rivers stream corridors and scenic by-ways
• Provides linkages between natural and manmade
  features or destinations

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• Can serve a variety of different functions and
  provide multiple benefits
• Recreation
• Economic development
• Transportation
• Natural, cultural scenic resource preservation
• Environmental protection
• Wildlife habitat / movement
• Education

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Different Types of Greenways and Associated
Functions
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12 Implementation Strategies20 Year Effort

• Statewide Greenways Network
• Greenway Planning
• Places for All People
• PA Wellness
• Alternative Transportation
• Natural Resource Protection
• Organizational
• Funding
• Greenways Toolbox
• Education and Training
• Promotional Campaign
• Volunteer Network

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Strategy 1A Statewide Greenways Network

• Goal Establish a statewide greenways network of
  hubs/destinations and connecting linear corridors
  
• Activity
• Identified and mapped major greenway corridors
  as backbone of statewide network
• Collecting county-level data through planning
  program
• Assembling various greenways data layers to
  comprise total Greenways GIS

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What is a Major Greenway Corridor

• 50 miles or more in length and pass through 2 or
  more counties
• Recognized in an official planning document
• Major arteries of the developing statewide
  greenway system county/regional greenways would
  connect to these
• Purpose County plans recognize major greenways
  and encourage connections

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Major Greenway Corridors

• Susquehanna Greenway
• Mainline Canal Greenway
• Great Allegheny Passage
• Delaware-Lehigh Canal
• Schuylkill River Greenway
• East Coast Greenway
• Appalachian Trail
• Pine Creek Trail
• North Country Trail
• Allegheny Forest Trails

• Baker Trail
• Chuck Keiper Trail
• Donut Hole Trail
• Laurel Highlands Trail
• Link Trail
• Loyalsock trail
• Mid-State Trail
• Quehanna Trail
• Tuscarora Trail
• Warrier Trail

• PFBC Designated Water Trails

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Strategy 2 Greenway Planning

• Goal Promote development of greenway plans as an
  integral part of comprehensive planning and
  implementation linking to land use, community
  revitalization, recreation and open space
  protection efforts.
• Activity
• Developed and launched new County Greenway and
  Open Space Network Planning Program. (Sept
  2002)
• 4 counties completed 26 more actively engaged

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Strategy 3 Places for All People
Goal Increase opportunities for diverse
populations to enjoy greenways

• Activities
• Update PA Recreation Plan (www.dcnr.state.pa.us/br
  c/publications -- 4/04)

• ATV strategy mapping / survey
  component of motorized recreation study
• Water Trail Program
  DCNR/PFBC/PEC partnership

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Strategy 4 PA Wellness

• Goal Actively involve the health community in
  greenway development to support and promote
  physical activity and wellness.
• Activity
• Integrated greenways into State Health
  Improvement Plan.
• State Healthy Communities Initiative /
  Partnership
• Hike for Health
• PANA health/recreation/school partnerships for
  Active Community Environments Initiative
• Community design training
• Revision to PennDOT Bike/Ped Plan

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Get fit on foot in Pennsylvanias great outdoors
www.dcnr.state.pa.us/info/hikeforhealth
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"Nothing I've done in 20 years has resulted in
the reader comments we've gotten on this.
Pat Carroll, The Patriot News
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Active Community EnvironmentsRecreation
Health Campaign

• State-wide campaign to promote
  existing park and recreation facilities as
  places for physical activity for local
  implementation.
• Pilot Communities
• Franklin and Allegheny Counties
• Lead by PA Advocates for Nutrition and Activity
  (PANA)

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Healthy Community Design Training

• Food for Thought workshops --
• Education and outreach sessions for local
  government officials (and related professionals)
  on the impact of land-use, community design
• and transportation on public health.

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Poor Diet and Physical Inactivity May Soon
Overtake Tobacco As Leading Cause of Death In
U.S., March 9, 2004

• Leading causes of death in 2000 ( of total U.S.
  deaths)
• Tobacco (435,000 deaths 18.1)
• Poor diet and physical inactivity (400,000
  deaths 16.6)
• Alcohol consumption (85,000 deaths 3.5)
• In Pennsylvania
• Annual obesity-attributable medical expenditures
  are estimated at 4.1 billion
• 22,553 deaths each year are related to poor diet
  and inactivity

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Strategy 5 Alternative Transportation

• Goal Develop a trails system that provides
  opportunities for alternative transportation.
• Activity
• Context sensitive solutions guidance and training
  for district staff
• PA Mobility Plan
• Safe Routes to School / Home Town Streets
  Initiative

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Strategy 6 Natural Resource Protection

• Goal Promote greenways that protect natural
  resources and
• environmental quality.
• Activity
• PEMA acquisitions in flood prone areas (1200
  properties)
• Riparian restoration efforts
• (615 miles statewide)
• Specific projects Susquehanna Wildlife and
  Birding Trail, Kittatinny Ridge

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Strategy 7 Organizational Structure

• Goal Issue Executive Order 1998-3 to establish
  lead agency and mechanism for state agency
  coordination and external stakeholder input
• Activity
• E.O. 1998-3 - DCNR is state lead agency
• One full-time coordinator (4/02)
• 3 person Greenways and Partnerships Division
• Interagency Coordination Team
• (includes 17 other state agencies)
• Secretarys Greenways Program Advisory Group

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Strategy 8 Funding

• Goal Assemble public and private funds to assist
  in planning, building and maintaining greenways.
• Activity
• Funding 2001-03
• Major Gway Corridors - 2 million
• County planning - 780,000
• Motorized trails - 3.4 million
• Rail trails / Rec trails - 4.6 million
• TOTAL 10.8 million
• Heritage Park projects - 8.1 million
• T-21 Enhancement - 500,000
• (MOU with PADOT)

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Strategy 9 Greenways Toolbox

• Goal Develop a toolbox for those involved in
  greenways planning and implementation
• Activities
• PA Greenways Clearinghouse Web site
  (www.pagreenways.org -- 11/02)
• OHV Design Standards Manual
• (www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/publications --
  3/04)
• T-21 Enhancements Trail Design Manual
• (under development)
• Trail Maintenance Survey/Guide
• (under development)
• Better Development Models book
• (Winter 2005)

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Greenways Clearinghouse Website www.pagreenways.or
g

• Provide one-stop shopping for greenways
  community
• technical assistance
• framework for communication
• show progress on greenways network
• highlight successes of partners

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Strategy 10 Greenways Education and Training

• Goal Incorporate greenways training into
  existing education programs and school
  coursework.
• Activities
• Education of local officials (PSATS, CCAP, PAB,
  PPA)
• Conservation By Design Program (Natural Lands
  Trust)
• Greenways documentary (www.greentreks.org)
• Smart Growth/Greenways lesson plans and teacher
  resources

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Strategy 11 Promotional Campaign

• Goal Enhance Pennsylvanias economy and tourism
  by showcasing greenways in a promotion campaign.
• Activities
• Link to existing nature tourism efforts (e.g. PA
  Wilds)
• Annual Greenway Sojourns a great family
  vacation in PA
• Rails to Trails Conservancy
• -- 2002 2003 (Eastern PA)
• -- 2004 2005 (NW PA)
• Trail Towns / Market Towns

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Strategy 12 Volunteer Network

• Goal Establish a corps of volunteers to maintain
  and promote local greenways though an
  Adopt-a-Greenway Program.
• Activity
• Grant to PA CleanWays to develop a volunteer
  stewardship and greenway adoption program and
  assist with cleanups at specific greenway sites

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PA CleanWaysCLEAN ADOPT GREENWAYS
Before
After
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Five Project Sites

• Hazelwood Greenway, Allegheny County
• Lower Trail, Blair Huntingdon counties
• Carbondale Maplewood, Lackawanna County
• Browns Creek Road, Greene County
• Coal Coke Trail at Iron Bridge, Westmoreland
  County

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Westmoreland CountyCoal Coke Trail at Iron
Bridge

• Problem 4 tons of trash and 2000 tires at the
  site of a former junkyard along a proposed
  rails-to-trails site connecting Mount Pleasant
  and Scottdale boroughs
• Solution Clean, do site-regrading re-planting
  through local partnerships, and adopt

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County Greenway Planning
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County Greenway Planning

• County greenway plans form the basis for a
  statewide, interconnected system of greenways.
• Target By 2007, all 67 counties will complete
  and adopt greenway plans.

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County Greenway Planning

• Two Primary Outcomes
• A vision and priorities for establishing a
  greenways network in the county.
• An inventory of natural resources and open space
  to be protected as a critical component of
  greenways network.
• Result -- County Greenways Open Space Network
  Plan

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County Greenway Planning

• Network linear corridors natural
  resource-based or manmade hubs or destinations
  along the corridor.
• (both green gray infrastructure)
• Adopted as element of County Comprehensive Plan
• Platform for more detailed greenway planning and
  development at municipal level

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Potential Components of a Greenways Network
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Elements of the Planning Process

• Inventory and map existing natural resources,
  linear corridors and other related features
• Analyze and map envisioned county greenways and
  open space network
• Outline specific action items for implementation
• Public involvement throughout process

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County Planning OptionsThree County Approaches

• Beaver Comprehensive Plan amended 1999
• DCNR funded County Park Plan adopted 2003
• Starting 50,000 Greenway and Trails Plan --
  25,000 DCNR/25,000 County Cash
• Mercer Comprehensive Plan underway
• DCNR funded County Green/OS/ Rural Rec Plan --
  45,000 chapter, 22,000 DCNR/seek LUPTAP
• Berks Just adopted Comprehensive Plan
• DCNR funded Greenway and Open Space Park and
  Rec plan 160,000 w/80,000 DCNR/80,000 county
  cash and inkind mix
• Multi-county -- Southern Alleghenies Planning
  Region
• DCNR and PennDOT funding

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For More Information

• Statewide Greenways Program
• Meredith Hill
• [phone]
• mehill_at_state.pa.us

• County Greenway Planning
• Diane Kripas
• [phone]
• dkripas_at_state.pa.us