2026 Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini‑Grant Program Now Open
EASTON (Feb. 10, 2026) – As the local leader for Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape, Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (DLNHC) is preparing to disburse $100,000 as part of the 2026 Lehigh Valley Greenways Mini-Grant Program. The online application period will open on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026 and run through Friday, March 27, 2026 at 4 p.m.
Lehigh Valley Greenways mini-grants are intended to inspire collaboration to carry out ready-to-go, 12–16-month projects that protect and promote the natural resources of the Lehigh Valley and advance the goals of Lehigh Valley Greenways. Focus areas include land conservation and restoration, outdoor recreation and trail connections, community revitalization, and local education and outreach.
All potential applicants are requested to send a representative to the pre-application webinar on Thursday, Feb. 12, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Registration is available at: https://lvgreenways.org/events/lv-greenways-2026-mini-grant-pre-application-meeting/.
2026 funding priorities include:
- Adoption of model ordinances and/or official maps by municipalities to protect natural resources and improve bicycle and pedestrian connections
- Implementation of ecological restoration projects, such as stream habitat improvements, riparian buffers, native grass and wildflower meadows, bioswales, rain gardens, and no-mow areas along streams and in public parks
- Hosting equitable educational events, trainings and workshops that advance the goals of Lehigh Valley Greenways
- Improvements to THE LINK, Lehigh Valley’s growing multiuse trail network, including closing trail gaps, installing safety and directional signage, improving stormwater management, creating safe road crossings, and adding trail amenities
- Incorporation of ecological resiliency strategies into relevant projects
Eligible applicants include municipalities, municipal agencies, county conservation districts, educational institutions (colleges, universities, school districts), and non-profit organizations with both tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status registered with Pennsylvania Bureau of Charitable Organizations. Projects must be located within Lehigh or Northampton County.
Grant awards will be announced in May 2026 for projects lasting 12 to 16 months, with start and end dates between June 1, 2026, and Nov. 30, 2027. Grant requests must range from $1,000 to $20,000, with total project costs not to exceed $50,000. Mini-grants require a cash and/or eligible in-kind match totaling at least 20% of the total project cost. Maximum awards of $15,000 to $20,000 will be primarily reserved for resource management and infrastructure projects.
Applicants can review full mini grant guidelines and fill out the online application on the Lehigh Valley Greenways website. The guidelines will be reviewed during the Feb. 12 Webinar on Zoom.
The grant awards are part of Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape program and funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Environmental Stewardship Fund. Lehigh Valley Greenways mini-grant funds may not be used to match other DCNR funded grant projects.
Lehigh Valley Greenways is one of eight conservation landscapes supported by Pennsylvania DCNR and includes more than 25 organizations and municipal partners in Lehigh and Northampton Counties dedicated to conservating natural resources and connecting people to the outdoors.
For more information on Lehigh Valley Greenways and the mini-grant program, please contact Brit Kondravy at 484-215-6227 or conservation@delawareandlehigh.org.
ABOUT DELAWARE & LEHIGH NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR
Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that preserves the historic pathway that carried coal and iron from Wilkes-Barre to Bristol. Through key programs like the D&L Trail, National Canal Museum, and Get Your Tail on the Trail, DLNHC connects people to nature, culture, communities, recreation, and our industrial heritage. For more information, visit delawareandlehigh.org/.
Information provided to TVL by:
Daniel DiBella
