Monday, March 2, 2020

Schuylkill River Greenways Awarded Boating Facility Grants

Rep. Jerry Knowles (R-Berks/Carbon/Schuylkill) and Sen. David Argall (R-Berks/Schuylkill)  announced on Monday the Schuylkill River Greenways was awarded a $50,000 Boating Facility Grant from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC).

The Schuylkill River Greenways plans to construct parking improvements at the canoe/kayak ramp located at Peter Yarnell Park along the Schuylkill River in Perry Township. The grant funds will also be used to expand the parking area and to provide ADA-accessible parking. In addition, it plans to install ADA-accessible paths from the parking area to the boat launch ramp and the existing pavilion.

“Our waterways are important to society,” said Knowles. “These grants will make our waterways more accessible. In 2018, the Schuylkill River Greenways installed a new concrete and asphalt canoe/kayak ramp at Peter Yarnell Park. However, the number of boaters that can use the facility is limited by the size of the parking area.”

“At one time, no one would have wanted to go anywhere near the Schuylkill River, said Argall. “Now we are receiving grants to help the public enjoy all the recreational opportunities it can offer. It’s wonderful to see the rebirth of the river that is so closely tied with our heritage.”

The PFBC created the Boating Facility Grant program to provide grants for the planning, acquisition, development, expansion and rehabilitation of public boating facilities located on the waters of the Commonwealth. The goal of the program is to ensure Pennsylvania’s recreational boaters have the highest-quality boating facilities.

Grants cover up to 50% of costs for land acquisition, project design and engineering, development, expansion, and construction of public recreational boat access facilities.

The grants are funded by boat registration fees, state fuel taxes collected on fuel used in motorboats, and taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuel from the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program. General state funds are not used for the program.