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Luzerne County ballot probe: What we know so far

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Districts opting for many different options

MOUNTAIN TOP &mdash; State Rep. Gerald Mullery last week said funding has been secured for projects that will &ldquo;greatly enhance outdoor recreation opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy.&rdquo;
				Mullery, D-Newport Township, said the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources awarded grant funding totaling $241,000 to two communities and a non-profit organization in Mullery&rsquo;s 119th Legislative District.
				&ldquo;I am pleased to see the state recognizing their importance and providing our communities with the funding to make these plans happen,&rdquo; Mullery said.
				The recipients of the DCNR grants in Mullery&rsquo;s district are:
				&#8226; Rice Township, $200,000, for further development of Rice Township Park. Work to include construction of a soccer field, parking areas and pedestrian walkways, ADA access, landscaping, project signage and other related site improvements.
				&#8226; Wright Township, $19,000, to prepare a master site development plan for the 40-acre Wright Township Park.
				&#8226; Earth Conservancy, $22,000, to prepare a master site development plan for 30 acres on the Hanover 7A Property in Hanover Township.
				The DCNR&rsquo;s Bureau of Recreation and Conservation assists local governments and recreation and conservation organizations with funding for projects related to parks, recreation and conservation.
				DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn released the new Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan and an announcement of DCNR 2020 grants for community parks, small communities, and partnerships.
				The plan &mdash; Recreation for All &mdash; is a blueprint including 20 recommendations and 70 action steps for meeting the outdoor recreation needs of all Pennsylvanians. Grants announced are the core of DCNR&rsquo;s municipal investment program, providing for planning and development or rehabilitation of local community parks and recreation facilities.
				&ldquo;Now more than ever, we have experienced the impact of outdoor recreation on our mental and physical well-being,&rdquo; Dunn said. &ldquo;Pennsylvania&rsquo;s new outdoor recreation plan serves as a blueprint on how we can make outdoor recreation accessible to every Pennsylvanian.&rdquo;
				In October 2018, DCNR began a more than a year-long public process of developing the state&rsquo;s outdoor recreation plan, required every five years by the federal government to receive funding.
				Dunn said the state&rsquo;s newest Outdoor Recreation Plan was developed with input of nearly 12,000 Pennsylvanians, including recreation providers, outdoor enthusiasts and the public at-large.
				&ldquo;This plan was developed for Pennsylvanians, by Pennsylvanians,&rdquo; Dunn noted. &ldquo;Through surveys, research and our technical advisory committee, we developed 20 recommendations and 70 actions steps that can guide investments and programs over the next five years. While DCNR leads the plan, implementing it is a team effort of other state agencies as well as recreation, conservation and health partners to together tackle challenges and embrace opportunities.&rdquo;
				Guided by a 40-member Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), the plan&rsquo;s priorities, recommendations, and actions were finalized before the challenges of COVID-19 and protests around racial injustice, but the framework for state outdoors recreation addresses those and other pressing challenges of today. Specifically, the plan prioritizes health and wellness and recreation for all, as well as sustainable systems, funding and economic development, and technology.
				The goal of the state outdoor recreation plan is to help all Pennsylvanians achieve greater access and enjoyment from experiences in the commonwealth&rsquo;s abundance of local and state parks, state and national forests, trails, rivers, lakes, game lands and other recreation spaces.

Mullery announces DCNR grant funding to improve recreational spaces