PA. Conservation Corps Projects
Provided 8 Years of Success: 2002 - 2010

State Grant Program Trained Conservation Workers and
Benefited Centre Region Municipal Parks

CRPR is pleased to recognize the members of the PA. Conservation Corps (PCC) assigned to the Centre Regional Recreation Authority. Their projects have made some valuable improvements to the nature center and at other park areas. The PCC is a conservation-based job training program administered by the PA. Dept. of Labor & Industry. Each year of the grant is valued at $94,000 to $103,000 which includes labor costs and a percentage of the project materials used.  A Fact Sheet about the PCC is available HERE (124 KB PDF).

Typically, each year 10-16 sites have been selected statewide by the PCC and the PA Department of Labor and Industry. At the time of their first selection in 2002, the Centre Regional Recreation Authority was the first municipal authority ever selected to host a PCC crew. Since that time the Authority has been approved for the competitive, one-year grants for seven consecutive years. In our case, the total value of the Year #7 grant was $103,000 (for labor and a portion of the materials used) and the local cash cost was $5,000.

From Years #1-4, the annual PCC conservation job-training program involved Millbrook Marsh Nature Center, the municipal parks, and the Centre County Historical Society's Centre Furnace Mansion. With the completion of projects for the historical society, for Years #5-8 the partnership has involved the Mt. Nittany Conservancy. 

Year #1 ▪ Project list for the PCC crew (July 2002 - June 2003) Year #2 ▪ Project list for the PCC crew (July 2003 - June 2004) Year #3 ▪ Project list for the PCC crew (July 2004 - June 2005) Year #4 ▪ Project list for the PCC crew (July 2005 - June 2006) Year #5 ▪ Project list for the PCC crew (July 2006 - June 2007) Year #6 ▪ Project list for the PCC crew (July 2007 - June 2008) Year #7 ▪ Project list for the PCC crew (July 2008 - June 2009) Year #8 ▪ Project list (PDF) for the PCC crew (July 2009 - June 2010) Year #9 ▪ On 20 May 2010, the state announced the selection of their 10 sites for July 2010 - June 2011. No sites in Centre County were selected, including the grant application submitted by CRRA (PDF).
	Centre Region PCC workers Russell Mark (left) and Colin Kreiger pressure wash the siding on the nature center barn to prepare it for refinishing on 22 Oct 09.
	Centre Region PCC workers Jordan Balko (left) and Justin Packer replace the safety deck on the nature center barn silo foundation on 22 Oct 09.