The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA

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December 20, 2012

DCNR Awards Trail Grant to Millersburg Borough

The Daily Item

MILLERSBURG — Millersburg Borough has received a pair of grants to construct the next segment of the Lykens Valley Rail Trail.

The borough was awarded $107,800 from the Community Conservation Partnership Program, administered by Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).

The borough also received a Dauphin County Local Share Municipal Grant in the amount of $100,000. Also known as a Gaming Grant, these funds are generated by revenue from the state-licensed casinos. These grants are available to municipalities and nonprofit organizations in Dauphin County due the presence of Hollywood Casino in East Hanover Township.

“We are excited to continue to develop the Lykens Valley Rail Trail in the Millersburg area,” said Chris Dietz, president of Millersburg Borough Council. “As more segments come online, the trail will draw more and more visitors to the Lykens Valley.”

These funds will be used to improve the hiking and biking trail along the old rail bed in Upper Paxton Township adjacent to Berry’s Mountain. Plans call for upgrades to drainage infrastructure and the rail surface between Goodling Road and Woodside Station Road. The borough will work closely with the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art as this trail is a pivotal part of the Center’s extensive trail network.

Additionally, plans are being developed to connect the new trail segment to the path in Riverfront Park, which was built as a “gateway” to the greater Lykens Valley Rail Trail (LVRT). This effort will effectively extend the western end of the LVRT from the Susquehanna River to Woodside Station Road, bringing trail users through the center of the Millersburg Business District.

Currently, in addition to the portion in Millersburg’s Riverfront Park, there are three completed miles on the eastern end of the LVRT extending from Wiconisco through Lykens. Once fully constructed, the Lykens Valley Rail Trail will extend twenty miles from Millersburg to Williamstown.

“Other similar length rail trails in Pennsylvania add millions of dollars to their local economies due to the money spent by trail users. This is our goal for the Lykens Valley,” said Dietz.

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