Published: September 08, 2007 11:27 pm      

Growing Greener grants assisting plenty of projects

EBENSBURG — Pennsylvania’s Growing Greener grants are helping Cambria County and many of its municipalities make all kinds of improvements, including upgrading ballfields, making streams safer and demolishing deteriorating structural eyesores, the county commissioners say.

Cambria has received $1.39 million this year in the Growing Greener II program.

The largest amount – a total of $225,000 – went to Johnstown to help pay the $700,000 cost of installing artificial turf at the Point Stadium, according to a list released Friday by the commissioners’ office.

The county’s redevelopment authority is receiving $200,000 for the on-going program of demolishing eyesores.

Playgrounds in Cambria Township and Brownstown, Wilmore and South Fork boroughs are getting new equipment and parking areas for the handicapped.

But there also are projects for stream improvement and agriculture.

All of the projects carry a total cost of $3 million, with the sponsoring municipality or authority providing matching funds. In some instances, the matching funds have come from other programs, including Cambria’s own community-initiative grants of $5,000, President Commissioner P. J. Stevens said.

“The whole idea is to enhance the quality of life for people and to bring about economic opportunities for the region,” he said.

In a cooperative regional project, Cambria is using $150,000 of its Growing Greener funds for the Stonycreek Whitewater Park.

Although located in Somerset County, it is on the border with Cambria and should be a boost to the tourism industry, Stevens said.

Commissioner Bill Harris has pointed out that many of the whitewater rafters and spectators will often stay at Cambria County hotels and eat at restaurants in Cambria.



Widespread benefits



Projects, sponsor, grant amount and purpose:



Parks, Trails and Recreation

• Path of Flood Trail, county conservation and recreation authority, $160,000 for Rails to Trails construction from Staple Bend Tunnel to Johnstown.

• Point Stadium, City of Johnstown, $225,000 for artificial turf.

• Whitewater Park, Stonycreek Que, $150,000 for Stonycreek River project.

• Carrolltown Legion Park, Carrolltown Borough, $40,000 for basketball court.

• Cooper Avenue Ballfield, West Taylor Township, $30,000 to upgrade field and facilities.

• Veterans Park Ballfield, Cresson Township, $40,000 to upgrade field and facilities.

• Revloc Park Playground, Cambria Township, $30,000 for children’s playground.

• Duman Lake Park, county conservation district, $60,000 to upgrade picnic and children’s play area and develop a tent camping area.

• Lake Rowena Park, Ebensburg Borough, $30,000 for restroom and recreation facilities.

• North Cambria Recreation Center, county, 48,530 for indoor recreation equipment and facilities.

• Brownstown Playground, Brownstown Borough, $30,786 for play equipment and handicapped parking area.

• Wilmore Playground, Wilmore Borough, $25,000 for play equipment and handicapped parking area.

• Children’s Library Park, South Fork Borough, $25,000 for play equipment and handicapped parking area.



Stream Improvements

• Chest Creek, county conservation district, $22,200 for stream bank stabilization and fish habitat improvement.

• Bear Rock Stream, Washington Township, $100,000 for stream bank stabilization.

• Sams Run, Richland Township, $25,000 for stream bank stabilization.

• Hastings unnamed tributary, county conservation district, $25,400 for stream bank stabilization.

• Wilmore Reservoir, Cambria Somerset Authority, $15,000 for access road improvements and stream improvements.

• Webster Mine Discharge, county conservation and recreation authority, $40,000 for improvements to handle acid-mine discharge



Agricultural

• Yahner’s feedlot, county conservation district, $50,000 to construct roof to control manure runoff.

• Bard’s feedlot, county conservation district, $16,000 for stream bank stabilization.

• Carl’s Spring, county conservation district, $2,084 to construct cattle-watering structure.



Community Development

Vacant structures, county redevelopment authority, $200,000 for demolition and clearance of dilapidated structures and asbestos removal.