Section 198-C. State Parks and Outdoor Recreation Program.
(a) Establishment.--The State Parks and Outdoor Recreation Program is established in the department to support the rehabilitation, repair and development of park and forest areas within this Commonwealth. Money appropriated to the department for COVID Relief - ARPA - State Parks and Outdoor Recreation Program shall be used to make awards for the program.
(b) Eligibility.--A project shall be eligible for an award under the program if:
(1) One of the following:
(i) The project rehabilitates, repairs or develops a State park, State forest land or the facilities of a State park or State forest land.
(ii) The award will be used for the acquisition of lands for a State park or State forest.
(2) The project is to plan, educate the public of, acquire, develop, rehabilitate or repair:
(i) Greenways.
(ii) Recreational trails, including connections between trails.
(iii) Open space, natural areas, river corridors and access to riverfronts.
(iv) Watersheds.
(v) Community parks and recreations facilities.
(vi) Community conservation and beautification projects.
(vii) Heritage areas and other conservation and recreations.
(c) Allocation.--
(1) From money appropriated for the program, 75% shall be used by the department for projects that meet the requirements of subsection (b)(1).
(2) From money appropriated for the program, 25% shall be used by the department to provide grants to eligible entities for projects that meet the requirements of subsection (b)(2).
(d) Application.--The department shall make available to an eligible entity an application that requires information as determined necessary by the department to verify the need for the project and to determine the extent to which the awards shall be awarded.
(e) Award amounts.--Awards made to eligible entities for projects that meet the requirements of subsection (b)(2) shall not be less than $50,000, and shall not be more than $5,000,000.
(f) Determination.--Upon a determination of eligibility for an award, the department shall provide the eligible entity with a letter of commitment indicating the conditional amount of the award.
(g) Matching funds.--The department may require matching funds for awards for eligible entities for projects awarded under subsection (b)(2).
(h) Report.--After the awarding of grants, the department shall provide a report to the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the Senate, the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives, the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of the Senate and the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of the House of Representatives that includes the following information:
(1) The total number of projects receiving awards.
(2) A list of eligible entities that received awards.
(3) The amount received by an eligible entity for each project.
(i) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources of the Commonwealth.
"Eligible entity." A county, municipality, council of governments, conservation district or authorized organization.
"Program." The State Parks and Outdoor Recreation Program under this section.
(198-C added July 11, 2022, P.L.540, No.54)