SUNBURY -- The proposed Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area in Northumberland County will receive a $1.5 million state grant as one of 218 projects approved for funding by Gov. Tom Corbett on Wednesday.
In all, the state will spend $31.5 million on the conservation and recreation projects.
Northumberland County had asked for the $1.5 million grant in April. It had earlier received $2 million in grants for the project. The county owns about 6,500 acres of coal land and wants to build the park to create a safe area for ATV riders and to stop illegal ATV use.
"It definitely moves the project forward," said Kathy Jeremiah, the county grants manager.
The proposed facility, trails and campground would be set on 6,000 acres of coal land owned by the county in Coal, Zerbe, Mount Carmel, West and East Cameron townships. The project will encompass approximately 35 parcels of county-owned land. The contour of the site features a variety of water courses, woodlands and meadows but it is mostly unusable abandoned strip mines.
County officials began planning the park in 2010.
Bob Good, of Pashek Associates, a Pittsburgh site planner, said that with an estimated 15,000 visitors per year to the park, 113 jobs could be created."This is a great opportunity for the area," Good said. "These numbers, if accurate, could be great."
Fifty-six million people live within a 250-mile radius of the proposed park.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnerships grant program combines several funding sources into one grant program. Funding comes from the Keystone Fund, which is generated from a portion of the realty transfer tax; the Environmental Stewardship Fund; the ATV/Snowmobile Fund, generated through fees for licenses; and federal funds.
The grants will support a variety of proposals, including 43 trail projects; protecting 3,051 acres of open space; supporting 122 community parks; 12 river conservation projects; and 41 projects for heritage areas, parks and greenways.
