County Greenway Planning Resources

The following is a list of useful resources and reference documents that can assist counties with County Greenways and Open Space Network Planning.

Existing County Greenways Planning Efforts

1. Linking Landscapes - A Plan for the Protected Open Space Network in Chester County, PA - Accessible at http://www.chesco.org/planning/linklan.html or by calling the Chester County Planning Commission at (610) 344-6285.

2. Monroe County Open Space Plan - An Action Guide to Preserving and Enhancing Monroe County's Green Infrastructure - Accessible at http://monroe2020.org/  (select "Open Space Plan") or by calling the Monroe County Planning Commission at (570) 517-3100.

Conserving Open Space / Natural Resource-Based Corridors & Hubs

1. Growing Greener: Putting Conservation into Local Codes booklet and Design Studies Portfolio - both available from Natural Lands Trust (www.natlands.org), (610) 353-5587 or email info@natlands.org.

2. Smart Conservation Program - A Project of Natural Lands Trust and the Southeast PA Conservation Community.  Contact: Clare Billett, Program Manager, (610) 353-5587 or clare-nlt@wildmail.com.

3. Using Conservation Easements to Preserve Open Space - Available from the Heritage Conservancy by calling (215) 345-7020 or email hconserv@heritageconservancy.org.

4. Green Infrastructure: Smart Conservation for the 21^st Century - Available from the Sprawl Watch Clearinghouse at http://www.sprawlwatch.org/frames.html.

5. County Natural Area Inventories - Counties in the east contact The Nature Conservancy at (717) 948-3836 or c-wgleason@state.pa.us. Counties in the west, contact Western PA Conservancy at (412) 288-5403 or jwagner@paconserve.org.

6. Important Bird Area (IBA) Program, Audubon Pennsylvania -  Coordinator: Rob Blye at rblye@audubon.org or (717) 213-6880.  For state map with Important Bird Area locations, visit the IBA Web site at http://paaudubon.org/lbamain.htm.

Riparian Buffers and Stream Corridor Protection

1. Pennsylvania Stream Releaf: A Plan for Restoring and Conserving Buffers Along Pennsylvania Streams, PA Department.of Environmental Protection, 1998. Access by clicking the link, or by calling the Bureau of Watershed Conservation at (717) 787-5259.

2. The Pennsylvania Stream ReLeaf Forest Buffer Toolkit, developed by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay under a grant from PA DEP. Access by clicking link, or by calling the Bureau of Watershed Conservation at (717) 787-5259.

General Resources

1. Creating Connections: The Pennsylvania Greenways and Trails How-To Manual - hard copy available from The Pennsylvania Environmental Council, (215) 563-0250 or email cmeyers@pecphila.org.

2. The PA Greenways Clearinghouse Web Site - http://www.pagreenways.org

3. Land Use in Pennsylvania: Practices and Tools - An Inventory, Governor's Center for Local Government Services, January 2000.  Available by calling (888) 223-6837 or visit www.landuseinpa.com.

4. Heritage Park Regions - A map and contact information for the 11 regions can be accessed at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/heritageparks/index.htm or by calling (717) 783-0988.

GIS and Mapping

1. Local Government Handbook for GIS - Implementation Within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The handbook, prepared by PaMAGIC, a consortium of GIS professionals and government agencies in the Commonwealth, can be accessed at www.pamagic.org/DataStds/DataStds.htm   Counties can also contact DCNR's Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey at (717) 702-2047 for guidance on developing geographical data that will be consistent with statewide standards and  the PA-MAP initiative.

2. PA Spatial Data Access (PASDA) - PASDA is a clearinghouse of geospatial data that can be used to inform planning efforts.  This clearinghouse helps eliminate the creation of redundant data sets and serves as a resource for locating data throughout the Commonwealth through its data storage, interactive mapping/webgis applications, and metadata/documentation efforts.  Visit http://www.pasda.psu.edu/ .

3. Department of Environmental Protection's "E-Map."  Provides a web-based mapping application that includes a variety of natural resource and other types of data layers. Visit http://www.dep.state.pa.us/external_gis/gis_home.htm .

The Greenways and Health Connection

1. Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Activity (PANA) - Contact: Allison Topper, Institute for Healthy Communities at atopper@haponline.org or (717) 561-5327. Provides resources and facilitates collaboration with local community health partnerships and others to increase statewide capacity to implement community design strategies that promote public health and quality of life.

2. Creating Connections - Healthy Communities Movement and Recreation and Park Programs -  Available from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council - Northeast Regional Office, (570) 408-4997.

3. Stepping Forward - Creating An Active Community in Pennsylvania, Spring 2002 - available from the Wyoming Valley Wellness Trails Partnership, (570) 208-6077.