State Debuts Long-Term Plan To Improve PA’s Parks

By Cassie Miller | Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Speaking from Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Cumberland County Friday, Gov. Tom Wolf was joined by Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn to announce a new long-term plan to make improvements to Pennsylvania’s aging state park system.

Looking around with his arms spread, Wolf waxed poetically about the diverse scenery of Pennsylvania.

“This is what makes Pennsylvania so special … this scenery,” Wolf said, taking in the view. “I think the idea is to encourage more people to come to these parks.”

Known as “Penn’s Parks for All,” the plan will serve as a blueprint for park officials at the commonwealth’s 121 state parks over the next two decades, the Wolf administration said in a statement, adding that the plan was developed with “extensive” input from the public.

The plan aims to address long-term issues such as public accessibility, infrastructure improvements and repairs, and climate change through 87 strategies that include:

• Promoting state parks as safe and welcoming;
• Evaluating and update visitor information and programs to include untold stories and improve inaccuracies of cultural stories;
• Improving transportation options to state parks to broaden access;
• Improving accessibility to all water-based recreation;
• Ensuring state parks are adequately funded including reducing costs and improving efficiencies, demolishing buildings that are costly and have no historical significance, modernizing maintenance plans, minimizing duplication of outdoor recreational services, and increasing annual state appropriations for general operations so that fees collected in state parks can be used for maintenance;
• And identifying the need for additional trails and trail connectivity from state parks to communities.

“We really need this plan,” Wolf told reporters.

Wolf’s comments were echoed by Dunn who noted the importance of Pennsylvania’s state parks during the pandemic, and now, as the commonwealth recovers.

“As economic drivers for nearby communities, state parks and outdoor recreation also are an important part of our recovery,” Dunn said.

Pennsylvania’s state parks saw record attendance during the pandemic as many Pennsylvanians sought refuge from lockdown in nature.

“It’s been an honor to serve the people of Pennsylvania when they needed us the most,” Dunn said.

Wolf also reflected on the importance of state parks during the pandemic and the need to support outdoor spaces going forward.

“During that time these parks were heavily used by people in Pennsylvania and beyond,” he said. “The opportunity to enjoy the beauty and recreational opportunities in state parks and forests was critical to our mental and physical health during the pandemic. As we get back on track, we need to ensure generations to come will have the same opportunities, and that all Pennsylvanians feel connected to their state parks.”

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