PIKE COUNTY, PA — Pike County’s Scenic Rural Character Preservation program (SRCP) has dedicated $517,868 for 19 planning projects, benefitting nine municipalities. In addition, SRCP funds have helped to leverage $580,000 in additional state grants, increasing the amount of funding coming into Pike County for planning projects.

Two manuals were created for the program, one containing guidelines to access SRCP funds to undertake the development or update of municipal comprehensive and/or open space plans or the update of land use ordinances, the second providing funding guidelines for conservation easements and acquisitions as well as the continuation of municipal planning initiatives.

Using these tools, Pike County municipalities such as Blooming Grove, Delaware, Greene, Lackawaxen, Matamoras, Palmyra, Porter, Shohola and Westfall have received funding for a variety of planning initiatives. Funds also allow for support of other important county projects, such as a natural heritage inventory, groundwater level monitoring and Act 167 Stormwater Plan.

The initial SRCP program was limited to a period of 10 years. That time frame has now passed. To help maintain the high quality of life that we all enjoy in Pike County, the Delaware Highlands Conservancy, the local land trust serving Pike and Wayne counties in PA and Sullivan and Delaware counties in New York, would like to hear what you think about continuing local conservation, planning and land protection efforts. Pike County residents are invited to visit www.dela warehighlands.org/pike-county-survey to complete a brief online survey.