Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline approved the awarding of $4.2 million in open space preservation and park improvement grants at a recent public commissioners' meeting. The grants are made available through Chester County's Preservation Partnership Program, which offers funding to municipalities and nonprofit land preservation organizations. This commitment of county funds will help leverage an additional $10 million of non-county funds.

The grants include the following.

East Bradford Township will receive more than $1.32 million to purchase the 156-acre Starr Farm property for public recreation and natural resource protection, expanding the existing 25-acre Starr Farm Park and providing connections to several other township parks and preserves.

East Pikeland Township will receive $92,390 for the construction of the Ridge Road Park, a new 16-acre park, featuring a community garden and orchard, a dog park, and paved trails. The township will also be given $250,000 for the first phase of development of the new 115-acre Hidden River Park and Preserve, including a 47-space parking lot and 2 miles of multi-use trails, including a connection to the county's Schuylkill River Trail.

West Pikeland Township will receive $80,727 for Phase 2 improvements at the new 62-acre Walnut Lane Park, including adding the wearing course of the paved drive and parking area, pavement markings, shade trees, buffer trees, benches, and an information kiosk.

The French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust will receive $180,964 for a 57-acre conservation easement on the Maxwell property in West Vincent Township, with the goals of protecting agricultural resources and strengthening agricultural infrastructure.

The Green Valleys Watershed Association will be awarded $14,500 for the Horse-Shoe Trail Improvements at Welkinweir, a 224-acre publicly accessible nature preserve in East Nantmeal Township. Nearly 1 mile of new trail will be established, including re-routing over 3,000 linear feet of the trail onto Welkinweir, eliminating a steeply eroding section of the trail currently traversing non-protected, private land.

Natural Lands will receive money for three projects, including $50,000 to construct the Bryn Coed Preserve - Beaver Hill parking lot in West Vincent Township, along with a kiosk, parking lot sign, and trail signage, as well as $18,000 for a portion of the transaction expenses involved with a fully donated conservation easement on the 26-acre Isabella Furnace site, which is on the National Register of Historic Places in West Nantmeal Township.

Chester County has funded the preservation of over 57,000 acres of farmland, open space, nature preserves, and parks in partnership with farmers, municipalities, nonprofits, and landowners in all 73 municipalities.