The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources announced local recipients of Lehigh Valley Greenways mini grants during a May 13 event at the Mickley Road trailhead in Whitehall.

The awards provided $75,000 of funding to local projects in Lehigh and Northampton counties.

Robert Neitz, internal coordinator of Lehigh Valley Greenways and manager of the DCNR Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, spoke at the gathering and stressed the important physical and social benefits local trail systems provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whitehall Township Mayor Michael Harakal Jr. commended the completion of the Jordan Gateway project on the Jordan Creek Greenway, where a new bridge over the creek was built linking the trail from Jordan Park to the Jordan Parkway at Mickley Road.

Harakal also applauded the completion of other projects, including the well-traveled Ironton Rail Trail and ongoing efforts to link many trails.

Claire Sadler and Kathleen Ward, of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, provided information on Lehigh Valley Greenways conservation efforts, with an emphasis on outdoor recreation and local trail connections. Lehigh Valley Greenways is one of eight conservation landscapes supported by the DCNR and includes more than 25 organizations and municipal partners in Lehigh and Northampton counties.

A feature called The Link Trail Network was promoted. The Link is an interconnected network of multiuse trails in the Lehigh Valley. See TheLinkTrails.com for more information.

Neitz presented the recipients with their awards. Honorees include Coalition for Appropriate Transportation (two awards), Lehigh Carbon Community College, Lehigh County Conservation District, Lower Mount Bethel Township, Lower Saucon Township, Monocacy Creek Watershed Association, North Catasauqua Borough, South Whitehall Township, Valley Mountain Bikers, Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley, Wind Gap Borough (two awards) and Nurture Nature Center.