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Pennsylvania Water Trails Program Mini Grants is sponsored by Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) / Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR). These mini-grants aim to enhance outdoor recreation and resource conservation by supporting projects that promote sustainable use of water trails and improve public access to waterways across Pennsylvania. A 1:1 match is required for the Statewide Waterway Access Grant.
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2025 PA Water Trail Mini-Grants Now Available - PECPA 2025 PA Water Trail Mini-Grants Now Available Pennsylvania Environmental Council FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : September 2, 2025 Contact : Tali MacArthur, Pennsylvania Environmental Council Email : [email protected] PEC Announces 2025 PA Water Trail Mini-Grants Now Available Dallas – The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) has announced the opening of the 2025 PA Water Trails Mini-Grant cycle.
Grants are available on a competitive basis for projects that implement the PA Water Trail Program’s eight guiding principles: Partnership • Stewardship • Volunteerism • Education • Conservation Community Vitality • Diversity • Wellness and Well-being Proposed projects must advance program goals such as creating recreational opportunities for all Pennsylvanians on Water Trails; developing trails that support sustainable use of natural resources; increasing and improving physical and psychological access to Water Trails; and connecting water trails to land trails or to other culturally significant community assets.
The PA Water Trail Program recently released the Five-Year Strategic Action Plan, 2025-2029. This year, the Mini Grant program will prioritize funding for projects that advance the Plan’s Goals and Strategic Outcomes by implementing one or more Actions and Activities in the Plan (view the plan here .)
Also, new this year, applicants will be required to consider how project impact and success will be determined based on appropriate metrics. Water Trail Program staff will require that grantees report on these metrics in progress and final reports.
Eligible applicants include registered non-profit organizations and public entities (such as a county, municipality, or municipal agency), and all projects must occur on a designated Pennsylvania Water Trail (view map here ). Applicants can request up to $7,000 and project proposals must include a 1:1 match (cash or in-kind). All applications must be submitted online.
Applications and instructions are now available online at: https://pecpa. org/apply . Applications are due by 5:00 PM on October 31, 2025.
PEC is hosting an optional virtual pre-application meeting on Monday, September 15, 2025 at 11 AM. Registration is not required. Interested applicants can join the meeting at this link: https://us02web.
zoom. us/j/83174160451 Pennsylvania’s 28 Water Trails link outdoor recreation and water conservation efforts. Since 2008, PEC, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), and the National Park Service have worked together to promote and maintain the Pennsylvania Water Trails Program’s network of creeks and rivers.
The PA Water Trails Program provides technical assistance, shares education and resources, and facilitates networking and peer-to-peer learning for Water Trail managers. On average, PEC supports between 6 and 10 projects under this program per year.
Project outcomes have included improved way-finding signage and safety messaging, inclusive cultural storytelling kiosks, water trail promotional material, up-to-date water trail maps and trip itineraries, new and enhanced physical access sites, streamside habitat improvement, and environmental education and introduction to paddling opportunities for youth and underserved community members.
PEC has administered the PA Water Trail Mini-Grant program since 2017. Mini-grant funding is financed in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program, under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation. Therefore, applicants should note that mini-grants may not be used as match for other DCNR-funded projects.
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Non-profits, municipalities, and educational institutions. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows up to $7,000 (Water Trails Program Mini Grants); Up to $30,000 (Statewide Waterway Access Grant). Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
Pennsylvania Water Trails Program Mini Grants is funded by Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) / Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR). Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
The Commonwealth Financing Authority's statewide Local Share Account program accepts applications September 1 through November 30, 2026, funding public-interest projects from $25,000 in eligible costs up to $1,000,000 per grant request out of Pennsylvania gaming revenue. Nonprofits are not eligible applicants and must be sponsored by a county, municipality, authority, or development agency. Here is how the sponsorship structure actually works, what the three-month window is really for, and why the ownership-and-maintenance clause decides more applications than the project narrative.
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