Last month, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, along with members of the Greene County Commissioners office announced that Greene County would be a recipient of two new grants for local outdoor projects.

Blair Zimmerman, chairman of the Greene County Board of Commissioners, said the process to obtain such funding is complex, but will be beneficial for the county.

“In in order to get this money we talked to our lobbyists and also made a trip to Harrisburg to meet with the DCNR, State Representative Pam Snyder and State Senator Camera Bartolotta,” said Zimmerman. “[We went] to tell them what our plans were and how important recreation is to the community not only for recreation but for economic development. I think by us going to Harrisburg and lobbying had a big impact on us getting the money.”

The total amount of grant money awarded to the county is $603,000 and it will be allotted into two separate projects, with $403,000 of it going to extending the Greene River Trail and a second grant of $200,000 going to the Wisecarver recreation area.

The larger and more complex project is the extension of the Greene River Trail. It is already 5.1 miles long, but with the grant the commissioners hope to extend the trail by 2.2 miles.  Zimmerman said more development of the trail will come in the future, but the 2.2 mile extension is a start for the county.

“Our plan down the road is to expand the River Trail all the way along the river to the West Virginia border if we could do that and tie in with other trails,” said Zimmerman.  “But it takes time, money and property acquisitions, so it will expand more in the future but how soon I couldn’t tell you.”

Within the Wisecarver project, Zimmerman is excited to be able to improve the local grounds and said that the original plan a few years ago was to add or improve new athletic fields and trails for Waynesburg University athletics.

“We acquired Wisecarver Damn and control of it with a lease less than a couple years ago,” said Zimmerman.  “And we’ve been working on a plan, a master plan and at one time we we’re looking to make a cross country course down at Wisecarver.  We were then approached by Waynesburg softball to put some fields in out there and that was something that was in the original plan.”

Zimmerman feels that it’s important to help Waynesburg whenever possible including this circumstance because the commissioners are excited that the university interacts with the town.

“You guys are a part of our community,” said Zimmerman. “I think President Lee and the Board of Commissioners have a good working relationship and we want to include in our thought process not only the county, but you are a part of it while you are here.”