Regional Trail Grants

The 2025 Grant Round is now closed.

Funded through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and administered by WeConservePA, Regional Trail Workshop Grants are awarded to units of local government or nonprofit organizations having 501 (c)(3) status. These grants support high-quality educational programming and safety training directly related to land trails, water trails, and greenways.

Regional Trail Workshop Grants are reimbursement grants that cover up to 80 percent of the costs directly associated with each workshop (not to exceed $5000) and require at least a 20 percent match from the organization. Grantee match cannot come from other grants managed or distributed through the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) or WeConservePA. Regional trail grant funds also cannot be used as match for other DCNR or WeConservePA funded projects. Grantees are responsible for all remaining workshop costs. Only one grant is awarded per organization per year.

Program Eligibility

Programs eligible for grant funding include the delivery of:

  • Trail safety education programs or trail-related environmental education programs, including programs promoting environmental protection, for trail managers, volunteers, or trail users. (Volunteer workdays and community festival expenses are not eligible for grant funding or use as match, although a training subcomponent occurring concurrently with or as part of the event may be.)
  • Training on improving trail accessibility and sustainability for trail managers or volunteers.
  • Training on planning, design, construction, and maintenance of trails for trail managers and volunteers (because each of these steps can relate directly to trail safety and environmental protection.)

Expenses NOT eligible for reimbursement under the grant include:

  • The production of trail system maps and/or
  • The purchase of trail tools, technology, licenses, or equipment that cannot be directly tied to the workshop awarded a Regional Trail Workshop Grant.

Questions can be directed to Emily Gates at egates@weconservepa.org  or 717.219.4074.

Previous Grant Recipients

These grants are made possible through funds granted through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). FHWA provides funds to states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for motorized and non-motorized recreational trail uses. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has been designated as the state agency responsible for administering this federal program in Pennsylvania.