Susquehanna Greenway Progress Report 2012

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Our annual update on projects, partnerships, and success stories

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Susquehanna Greenway Partnership

Making It Happen:�� Community�Revitalization

�� Environmental�Stewardship

�� Clean�Water

�� Outdoor�Recreation

�� Healthier�Places,�Healthier�People

2012 Progress ReportCreating a 500-mile corridor of interconnected river towns, trails, parks, river access areas, and conserved lands to link people with the natural and cultural heritage of the Susquehanna.

A Message of Thanks to Our Members, Friends and DonorsAs 2012 comes to an end it is time to reflect on our accomplishments and look towards the future. With this Progress Report you can see and appreciate the significant role that the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership plays in creating places where people are connected to the natural and cultural resources of the Susquehanna and can live active, healthy lives. The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership envisions a balanced regional economy, where we conserve productive farmland and forests, where local businesses thrive, and where river towns are centers of commerce, culture, and community activity.

With your support the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership works in the 22 counties along the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. We help local leaders and citizens take stock of their community and envision improvements for a more sustainable future. We assist communities with planning and securing resources for building parks and trails, and increasing public access to the River. We look for new uses for historic buildings and abandoned industrial sites. We help create a community that is attractive to business and we advocate for protection of our water resources, and conservation of farmland and forests.

In short, we are building Pennsylvania’s largest greenway – a green corridor of connected river towns, parks, trails, working farmlands and conserved areas. This is no small task and we cannot do it without the help of local partners and the contributions from people like you who care about our lands and waters.

By making a financial contribution you are becoming an important partner in the future success of the Susquehanna Greenway. Because of your investment we are a stronger champion for the Greenway and are able to conserve, revitalize, and connect Susquehanna communities through our successful River Towns Program and our effective Education and Outreach Programs described in the following pages.

Whether you are a new member or have been on this journey with us from the start, please make a donation to the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership today, and know that your gift creates clean, connected, and revitalized Susquehanna communities.

From the Board, Staff and Partners of the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, we thank you for your support!

Susquehanna Greenway Partnership Board of Directors

Jerry S. Walls, FAICP, Chair

Dee Alwine, Vice Chair

Marty Walzer, Treasurer

Susan Browning, Secretary

Liz Deardorff

Suzanne Lee

Wayne Kober

Teri MacBride

Timm Moyer

Cathy Curran Myers

Marel Raub

Peter Smith

Susquehanna Greenway Partnership Staff

Trish Carothers, Executive Director

Erin Pierce, Program Coordinator

Bridget Kane, Membership & Volunteer Coordinator

Barbara Bogle, Program Assistant

Susquehanna Greenway Regional Partners

Tom Grbenick, SEDA-COG

Alice Trowbridge, RLA

Janie French, Pennsylvania Environmental Council

Phil Swank, Endless Mountains Heritage Region

David Buck, Endless Mountains Heritage Region

Dale Freudenberger, D & L National Heritage Corridor

Mark Platts, Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area

Jonathan Pinkerton, Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area

Phot

o by

Chu

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aupt

Creating Pennsylvania’s Largest Greenway Since 2001, the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership (SGP) has been working with many dedicated partners to create the Susquehanna Greenway – a 500 mile corridor of interconnected river towns, trails, parks, river access areas, and conserved lands to link people with the natural and cultural heritage of the Susquehanna River region.

BALANCING THE NEEDS OF TODAY AND TOMORROW

The Susquehanna Greenway promotes conservation of the environment for sustainable living, and supports revitalization of healthy and successful communities.

The Susquehanna Provides:

�� Drinking water to 6,000,000 people

�� 50% of water for the Chesapeake Bay

�� Power generation

�� Wildlife habitat

�� Scenic beauty

�� Recreation

The Susquehanna Greenway includes:

�� A 500-mile corridor of river and land

�� 22 counties

�� 70 towns

�� 1,301 islands

Susquehanna Watershed and Greenway

Photo by Doug Brubaker

Photo on front cover: Susquehanna RiverWalk in Williamsport, an Early Demonstration Project of the Susquehanna Greenway. The Riverwalk has been planned, constructed and maintained through collaborative efforts of the business community, non-profit organizations, municipalities, county and state agencies.

Meeting Community NeedsRIVER TOWNS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

The purpose of the program is to provide communities the help they need to attract investment. We do this by:

y Creating River Town Revitalization Teams

y Conducting River Town Assessments

y Community Visioning and Goal Setting

y Planning for Parks, Trails, River Access, and Green Infrastructure

y Helping to Secure Project Funding

y Promoting River Towns and Their Events

COMMUNITIES ASSISTED IN 2012

At work with youTHERE ARE 70 RIVER TOWNS ALONG THE SUSQUEHANNA IN PENNSYLVANIA...

People have always been drawn to the majesty of the Susquehanna River and its great capacity to sustain life. The river and its towns are the foundation of our regional economy. River towns, as centers of manufacturing, industry, and commerce, have played a significant role in building our nation. Yet, today many of our river towns are not as vibrant as they once were. The migration of businesses to suburban and offshore locations has resulted in reduced opportunities for many who live in these towns.

To revitalize our river towns, while saving our farms and forests from sprawl development, we need to attract people and businesses back into our towns. The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership helps our communities embrace the Susquehanna River and to promote our historic downtowns as assets for economic development and for healthy living.

Susquehanna Greenway Partnership (SGP) staff and greenway coordinators help communities to create parks, trails, river access points, and events. SGP staff pictured above: (L to R) Program Assistant Barbara Bogle, Membership and Volunteer Coordinator Bridget Kane, Program Coordinator Erin Pierce, and Executive Director Trish Carothers.

Revitalizing Susquehanna Greenway River Towns

Shickshinny Mayor Beverly

Moore credits the Susquehanna Greenway

Partnership with “providing a vision and tools for how Shickshinny can not only survive, but thrive in the

midst of inevitable floods”

Armstrong Township

Athens Township

Berwick

Bloomsburg

Curwensville

Danville

Duncannon

Hemlock Township

Jersey Shore

Loyalsock Township

Lewisburg

Loyalsock Township

Montgomery

Muncy

Northumberland

Shickshinny

Watsontown

Wilkes-Barre

Williamsport

The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership has helped Shickshinny plan and secure funding for riverfront park improvements and a new river access.

Meeting Community NeedsCOMMUNITY BENEFITS

y Attracting Business and Jobs – Riverfront parks, trails and street trees can improve the quality of life in our river communities, and make them more attractive places to live, play or start a business.

y Tourism - Tourists are drawn to areas that have a mix of amenities to enjoy. Greenway systems can return $3 in revenue for every $1 in expenditure invested.

y Increased Property Values and Tax Revenues – Residential properties on average, realize a 10 to 20% gain in value the closer they are located to greenways, parks and trails.

y Improved Water Quality – Greenways purify runoff by trapping sediment, fertilizers, pathogens, and chemicals before they reach the nearest waterway.

y Healthier People - Lack of exercise has contributed to the obesity epidemic. Parks, trails and greenways provide the opportunity to integrate physical activity into our daily lives.

In 2012 the Pine Creek Rail was extended through town to the River and Jersey Shore became a Susquehanna Greenway River Town. (L to R) SGP Exec. Director Trish Carothers, Jersey Shore Borough Manager Joseph Hamm, Borough Council Members Janet Barnhart, Mary Greene, Marguerite Dyroff, Mayor Dennis Buttorff, Borough Council Member Ken Sheesley, SGP Board Chair Jerry Walls, DCNR Secretary Richard Allan.

THERE ARE 70 RIVER TOWNS ALONG THE SUSQUEHANNA IN PENNSYLVANIA...

People have always been drawn to the majesty of the Susquehanna River and its great capacity to sustain life. The river and its towns are the foundation of our regional economy. River towns, as centers of manufacturing, industry, and commerce, have played a significant role in building our nation. Yet, today many of our river towns are not as vibrant as they once were. The migration of businesses to suburban and offshore locations has resulted in reduced opportunities for many who live in these towns.

To revitalize our river towns, while saving our farms and forests from sprawl development, we need to attract people and businesses back into our towns. The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership helps our communities embrace the Susquehanna River and to promote our historic downtowns as assets for economic development and for healthy living.

Revitalizing Susquehanna Greenway River Towns

“In 2010 our river sojourn camped in Jersey Shore where the people were very welcoming. They told us they wanted a community river access and ever since we have been working together towards that goal, planning and raising over $400,000. Just $50,000 more is needed for the river access to be constructed in 2013.”

— Trish Carothers, SGP Executive Director

“SGP helped the Borough of Jersey Shore plan and secure funding to create a public river access. It has been a pleasure working with a group of people that care about the community. With SGP’s assistance, we now have a River Town Revitalization Team of 25-plus people committed to making our community better. We are looking to move forward on other projects in our downtown.” — Wm. Dennis Buttorff, Mayor, Jersey Shore

SOURCE WATER ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

With support from the Water Resource Education Network, SGP worked with the Columbia County Conservation District, DEP, and Pennsylvania American Water to create a Source Water Environmental Education Team in Columbia County.

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS y 40 presentations reaching over 700 people y 15 tabling events reaching over 20,000 people y Radio interviews reaching over 10,000 people y 70 newspaper articles on the Susquehanna Greenway y 3,751 reached by e-Connections newsletter y Nearly 600 events promoted on our web calendar y 8,900 new visitors to www.susquehannagreenway.org y 114 new members and sponsors y 138 new volunteers y Over 300 entries in our Photo Contest y 8 Traveling Photo Gallery locations y Hosted our first Photo Gallery Reception y Susquehanna Greenway Sign Guidelines updated y 19 new interpretive signs installed y Created our first Geocaching Trail y 1,180 hours of volunteer time for flood clean-up y Repaired 1 mile of flood damaged rail-trail y Cleaned 17 miles of river

y Cleaned and improved 150 acres of public parks

SUSQUEHANNA EDUCATIONAL SOJOURN

In 2011 SGP was successful in getting the West Branch Water Trail designated as a National Recreation Trail. National Geographic named the West Branch a “Best Adventure Destination for 2012. ” To celebrate these designations, SGP and a local planning committee hosted a six-day, 85-mile river sojourn in May from Curwensville to Renovo. The sojourn guided over 70 participants, speakers, and volunteers through the breathtaking natural beauty of the Susquehanna River’s Upper West Branch.

SUSQUEHANNA CONNECTING TRAIL CELEBRATION

SGP worked collaboratively with the Chesapeake Conservancy, DCNR, PFBC, Bucknell University and Native Americans to secure designation of the Susquehanna Connecting Trail to the Captain John Smith National Historic Trail in May. Members of the collaborative partnership are shown above at a ceremony in Annapolis. This national designation could help to conserve critical lands along the river and improve river access.

Creating a Susquehanna Greenway CommunityOutreach, Education and Promotion

Phot

o by

Chu

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aupt

“To make a greenway is to make a community.” Charles Little, Greenways for America

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR EXCEPTIONAL VOLUNTEERSJohn Alaimo

Diane Alwine

Barbara Baldwin

Chandler Ballentine

Megan Baskerville

David Bauman

Bruce Bishoff

Cynthia Bower

Caroline Brady

Susan Browning

Doug Brubaker

Jonathan Butterfield

Keith Conner

Daniel Corman

John Cosgrove

Matt Dallos

Liz Garland Deardorff

Diane Alwine

Robert and Dorothy Angeli

Stephen Artman

Todge Aumiller

Kenneth and Norma Jeane Bachman

Kenneth Beam

Kat Bendt

Thomas and Gail Blass

Richard Bloom

Marilyn Bok

Kevin and Debra Boyd

Alison Stone-Briggs and Richard Briggs

Steve Brown

Susan Browning

John and Sarah Bruch

Jonathan and Sally Butterfield

Alan and Trish Carothers

Bill Cole

David and Sally Craig

Liz Garland Deardorff

John and Carol Anne Doering

Diane Donato

Mary DuBois

Victor and Mary Engel

Jeremy and Audra dePrisco

Jesse Ergott

Alyssa Fiorentino

Richard Fitzsimmons

Emily Goblirsch

Cody Goddard

Edie Good

Cody Hanke

Chuck Haupt

Sarah Hoffman

Von Holguin

Rebecca Holler

Carol Hubler

Jaclyn Johnston

Daniel Jones

Kay Jones

Jeffrey Kane

Mike Kane

Wayne Kober

Murray Kohan

Suzanne Lee

Cassandra Lewis

Jan Lokuta

Michael Lombardo

Teri MacBride

Laura Marjorie MacLean

David and Lynda McCracken

Matthew Messer

Caleb Meyers

Victoria Mosher

Timm Moyer

Cathy Curran Myers

Diane Peresie

Harriett Perez

Eric Probert

John and Terry Proctor

Ally Ramirez

Marel Raub

Charles Schoffstall

Lamar Seger

Melanie Simms

Patrick Skovira

Peter Smith

Samantha Spotts

Nella Storm

Arlene Taylor

David Tillman

Tracy Tran

Ben Tripoli

Jerry Walls

Marty Walzer

Kelly Williams

Tim Fitzgerald

James and Elizabeth Flannery

John and Anne Freas

Rosaria Gabriele

Brian and Beverly Gallagher

Donald Gallagher

Thomas Gehret

Lisa Gibson

William Gibson

Robert Gilson

Sylvia Gleason

Galen and Janet Good

Dennis Goodlin

Valerie Grahn

Ronald and Polly Grimm

Bob Guldin

Pamela Haines and Chuck Esser

Donald and Linda Hall

Scott Harvey

Debra Hempfing

Mark and Melanie Heuer

Barbara Horst

J. Andrew Hubbell

Michael and Carol Hubler

Paul and Caprice Huffman

Donald James

David and Theodora Jansky

Erik Johnson

Milford Johnson

Robert and Joan Johnston

Daniel and Kathleen Jones

William Jordan

Jennifer Joyce

Jeff and Bridget Kane

Joseph and Susan Kirk

R. Stefan Klosowski

Wayne Kober

Mike and Jill Komar

Leo and Rita Kopetz

Michael Kubishen

Mike Lasher

John and Debra Latsha

Cole and Suzanne Lee

James and Connie Lewis

Teri MacBride

Christina Major

Jason Godeke and Cristina Mathews

Stuart Olinsky and Judith Meyers

Gautam and Mridula Mishra

Patricia Morris

Nina Tober and Richard Morrison

R. David Myers and Cathy Curran Myers

Nathan and Kayly Newcomer

Jeffrey and Janet Nokes

Frank Orlevitch

Gregory and Sydney Otte

John Palmer

Carlos and Harriett Perez

William and Suzann Pharr

William and Katherine Pickering

Merrily Pierce

Allan and Betsy Quant

Marel Raub

Daniel and Rose Reeder

Dustin and Sandra Rhodes

George and Barbara Rizzo

Jerome and Alice Rizzo

Ruth Rode

Linda Ross

David Sapak

Charles Schoffstall

David and T. Schultz

John and Carole Schultz

Peter and Linda Schultz

Ernest and Susan Schurer

Blair Seitz

William and Debra Shipp

Peter Smith

Ralph and Kathleen Smith

David and Betty Jean Staebler

Eric Stout

Karen Thompson

Mike and Amy Toole

Richard and Alice Trowbridge

Gary Tuma

Chalmer Van Horn

Bob Veleker

Robert and Rose Ann Wallace

Jerry and Joy Walls

Marty and Cynthia Walzer

Barb Weikle

Stephen Weiland

Matthew and Janet Weir

Robert and Marie Wheeler

Susan Wheeler

Glenn and Mary Ann Williams

Pat Zaborsky

Barbara Zeiders

Alan and Tana Zeigler

Edward and Amber Zygmunt

THANK YOU TO OUR CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS:

Photo by Chuck Haupt

201 Furnace Road, Lewisburg PA 17837 — Phone: 570-522-7211 Fax: 570-524-44913

info@susquehannagreenway.org� �—� � �w w w.susquehannagreenway.org

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS:

Bitting Recreation

Bob’s Army & Navy Store

C & E Containers

Chesapeake Bay Commission

Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network

Chesapeake Bay Trust

Citizens’ Electric Company

Clearfield County Historical Society

Courtyard Counseling Center

First Community Foundation Partnership of PA

Foundation for PA Watersheds

Geokinetics

Haas Landscape Architects

Jersey Shore Area Lioness Club

Jersey Shore State Bank

Larson Design Group

League of Women Voters

Lewisburg Neighborhoods Corp

Little Pine Resources

McTish, Kunkel & Associates

Nittany MinitMart

PA Organization for Watersheds and Rivers

PPL Corporation

Process Control Specialties, Inc.

Riverside Campground

Santino’s Italian Cuisine

Service First Federal Credit Union

Skyline Motor Inn

South Avis Realty, Inc.

Fiscal year July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012Revenue

Contributions and Grants 366,790

Program Service Revenue 12,094

Investment Income 19

Total Revenue 378,903 Expenses River Towns Program Expense 155,090

Education and Outreach Program Expense 135,493

Water Trails Program Expense 38,493

Management and General Expense 13,947

Fundraising Expense 18,667

Total Expenses 361,690Net Assets as of June 30, 2012 71,505

Financial Report

37%

11%

4% 5%

43%

River Towns Program

Education and Outreach Program

Water Trails Program

Management and General

Fundraising

Expenses:

Susquehanna Greenway Partnership

Susquehanna Life

Susquehanna Trailways

The Hershey Company

The Peter Herdic House Inn & Restaurant

Weeping Willow Inn

Weis Markets

West Pharmaceutical Services

Woodlands Bank

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

SPECIAL THANKS TO: