A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit some Lehigh Valley Greenways Initiative (LVGI) projects that are nearing completion. My “tour guide” was D&L Resource Conservation Specialist and LVGI grant administrator Sherry Acevedo. As noted in previous entries, thanks to Sherry, LVGI commits funds for nearly a dozen Lehigh Valley conservation and restoration projects every year. A testament to the program’s productivity, we passed numerous completed, current, and future projects, as we drove across Lehigh and Northampton counties. I’d like to highlight just two of the projects here.

First, we stopped in Wind Gap to check out a riparian restoration project. A small stream passes under Rt. 512 and into a wetlands area that forms the headwaters of the Bushkill Creek. At one time, the stream was channeled beneath a garage that stood between the road and the wetlands. Due to regular flooding of the narrow culvert, the foundation of the building was compromised. The Borough of Wind Gap demolished the garage for the bargain price of $10,000 and planned a small park for the site.

The foundation of the building was removed, revealing the suprisingly clean stream. The lot was regraded to restore a natural stream channel, and the soil was carefully replanted with native shrubs and grasses that would stabilize the banks. Thanks to a summer of mild weather and rain, the plants are flourishing. What was once the site of a garage is now a green pocket park!

On the day Sherry and I visited, small trout darted in the water, and borough workers worked on a small path to link the road with the back portion of the park. A beautification committee is now forming to take care of regular weeding and other maintenance, but the native plantings should require minimum work. This is a great example of what towns and cities can do with former building sites, especially on a minimum budget.

The second site we visited was on the northern end of Jacobsburg State Park, where the PPL Trail will eventually follow an electrical transmission corridor and former trolley bed towards Wind Gap. When we visited, township workers had recently completed a bridge across Sobers Run, a small creek that floods regularly and had actually put an upstream road bridge out of commission.

The bridge will provide access to the new section of trail, which should be constructed next year. As in the case of Wind Gap, Bushkill Township saved money by using recycled steel beams and standard lumber to construct this bridge for much less than even prefabricated spans. Despite the low price tag, you can tell from the photos that this small bridge could carry a tank and will withstand even the worst floods. While this will have to be a “bridge to nowhere” until the northern section of trail is complete, it might be worth stopping by to see the new bridge.

We probably could have spent a week traveling the region and checking in on all of LVGI’s past and future work, but I was more than impressed with the sample I saw. At a time when diminished state funding puts pressure on conservation efforts and partner municipalities alike, we need reminders of what we have gained from these initiatives — and what we stand to lose, if they should disappear.

Come out to the Bethlehem Brew Works‘ Steelgaarden on Tuesday, September 8 for an evening of “Pints and Policy,” featuring a panel composed of D&L staff.  Resource Conservation Specialist Sherry Acevedo, Stewardship and Trail Manager Scott Everett, and Outreach Coordinator Dennis Scholl will highlight recreational opportunties throughout the Corridor.  Scott Cope, the Wildlands Conservancy‘s Chief Program Officer, will moderate.

What could be better than downing a hefe and talking trails?  We hope to see you there.  Click here for all of the details.

On the evening of September 8, the South Bethlehem Historical Society will hold its annual meeting at the Bethlehem Masonic Temple, on Brighton and Cherokee Streets. This year’s meeting promises to be especially interesting, as the two keynote presentations will offer different perspectives on the fate of Bethlehem Steel’s historic No.8 Hammer Shop/Electric Furnace.

President and CEO of the ArtsQuest SteelStacks Project, Jeff Parks, will present his vision for the site, which requires demolishing the historic structure to make room for a new performing arts center. The PA Historical Museum Commission‘s Ann Safley will discuss the Section 106 Review Process, which revealed that the Hammer Shop is structurally sound and suitable for restoration and adaptive reuse. This promises to be a constructive discussion, and the Society welcomes the public to participate in the question and answer session to follow the presentations.

The presentations are at 7:00, but, beginning at 6:00, the first floor of the Wilbur Mansion will be open for casual tours. Click here for the invitation.

The recent torrential rains did not prevent dozens of local and state politicians, representatives of state agencies, and members of the press from attending the Lehigh Valley Greenways Initiative (LVGI) press conference on August 13.

During the conference, which was held at the Silver Creek Country Club in Hellertown, D&L Resource Conservation Specialist Sherry Acevedo announced the recipients of $230,000 in state-funded mini-grants. The grants are intended to aid conservation, restoration, and education projects through Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Mini-grant recipients for 2009 are:

• Bethlehem: $33,000 to support an urban forestry program.

• Easton: $16,000 to support an urban forestry program and $5,000 to initiate environmental advisory council education and outreach activities.

• Plainfield Township: $27,700 to revise and adopt land use ordinances, complete an open space plan, and conduct education and outreach through the environmental advisory council and $20,000 to complete the stabilization, resurfacing and enhancements to the township rail trail.

• Lehigh Valley Planning Commission: $20,000 to coordinate local planning activities for consistent zoning along the Kittatinny Ridge greenway.

• Wildlands Conservancy: $12,000 to facilitate two five-day Lehigh Valley adventure camps and $10,000 to provide a Nature Nearby program to urban youth in Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton.

• Lehigh County Conservation District: $5,000 to coordinate the 2009 Lehigh Valley Watershed Conference and $40,000 to complete early implementation projects of the Saucon Creek watershed plan.

• Washington Township, Lehigh County: $40,000 to surface and enhance a half-mile of the Slate Heritage Trail.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients! Since the D&L began administering LVGI grants, we have provided over $1.3 million for local initiatives.  Click here for a timeline of LVGI’s many achievements.

The most recent issue of the American Hiking Society’s Paperless Trail newsletter features the D&L Trail.  A brief article describes a loop hike that starts and ends at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, while taking in the D&L, the AT, and a number of side trails.  Visit the AHS website to subscribe to their newsletter, read more about the featured D&L hike, and follow hiking advocacy issues.