State official visits Moraine to tout park funding
MUDDY CREEK TWP — The secretary of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources used the burned-out backdrop of the lightning-damaged bike rental building at Moraine State Park to tout a funding package for much-needed upgrades in Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests.
DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and John Norbeck, DCNR deputy secretary, traveled from Harrisburg to Moraine Tuesday to advocate for a $450 million Growing Greener initiative introduced by Gov. Tom Wolf that would support state parks, state forests, local recreation, state Department of Environmental Protection programs, agricultural preservation and more.
Of those funds, $135 million would be earmarked for DCNR upgrades in state parks and state forests, Dunn said.
Wolf’s funding package, which has support in both the state House and Senate, would come from federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Dunn said Moraine State Park alone needs more than $20 million to complete all the upgrades necessary to keep all facets of the 17,000-acre park operating, as most systems, buildings and facilities are more than 50 years old.
Among those projects is the replacement of a lift station at one of the park’s two sewer treatment plants.
“If (park manager Dustin Drew) can’t get that fixed, he’s going to have to close down a campground,” Dunn said.
Other essential projects at the park include maintenance of Lake Arthur’s dam works and controls, occasional dredging of the lake, $4.5 million in rehabilitation of the North Shore and South Shore sewer treatment plants, replacement of nine miles of water lines, $1.5 million in road rehabilitation, $13 million in comfort station rehabilitation, work on the docks at Davis Hollow Marina, and upgrades to the bike rental and concession stands.
Jack Cohen, president of the county Tourism & Convention Bureau, said because Moraine State Park provides so much recreation to residents and visitors and incidental revenue to surrounding businesses, hanging “out of order” signs on restrooms or closing campgrounds is unfathomable.
“We need this park fixed right,” Cohen said. “The economic impact of Moraine State Park for our region is phenomenal.”
Dunn agreed.
“This is a real gem in (the DCNR) system,” Dunn said. “It’s a real moneymaker for the region.”
She went on to say 40 million people enjoy Pennsylvania’s state parks each year, and flocked to parks during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The investment in state parks and forests will pay financial dividends to Pennsylvania,” Dunn said.
Norbeck said it is the DCNR’s plan to create energy-efficient parks that rely on solar energy and propane for electrical and heating needs, respectively.
He said so far, $5.6 million in energy upgrades has yielded $7.8 million in savings in DCNR parks and forests.
Drew said 1.2 million people visit Moraine State Park each year.
