Acquisition, ownership and maintenance of greenways in the Pennsylvania greenways network may be public or private, or a combination. Affected private landowners should be consulted when a greenway is first proposed, and their participation in the planning process is vital to project success. Their rights and concerns should be respected throughout the process of establishing greenways. Local governments, quasi-public organizations and nonprofit groups should cooperate to determine greenways acquisition, ownership and maintenance strategies. There may be circumstances where the Commonwealth may play a larger role in acquiring, owning or maintaining greenways that have been identified as greenways of statewide significance, and state agencies should examine their potential for ownership. Opportunities also may arise for state acquisition of sites that may become greenway hubs. Through partnerships among state and local government, non-profit organizations, and private landowners, appropriate implementation strategies for key components of the statewide network of greenways can be determined.

Benefits:

• Provides vision and long-term direction.
• Provides greenways opportunities for recreation, fitness, transportation, and protection of open space, critical habitat and environmentally sensitive areas.
• Demonstrates the Commonwealth¹s commitment to work with regional and local government to build a statewide network of greenways.
• Uses a powerful tool, GIS, to identify and map greenways.
• Encourages collaboration among state, local and nongovernmental greenways partners.
• Positions Pennsylvania to be a national leader in the development of greenways.

Actions:

1. Develop a map of the greenways of statewide significance.

Greenways of statewide significance make connections beyond regional boundaries, connect major destinations or provide long-distance recreational opportunities. A map of these statewide significant greenways should be developed to identify and delineate the spine of the statewide network of greenways. This initiative should be spearheaded by DCNR in partnership with other state agencies, regional planning organizations, adjacent states, federal agencies and nongovernmental greenways partners. The map should include examples of every type of greenway. Special attention should be given to greenways that link urban, suburban and rural centers, natural areas, recreation, historic and cultural sites, and to projects that incorporate restored brownfields. This map will begin to depict Pennsylvania's greenways vision and can be an impetus to build a robust network of greenways. It should be widely distributed by DCNR and by regional and local planning organizations, and can be used for planning, marketing and coordination by all greenways partners. The map should be updated periodically as the greenways network grows.

2. Establish partnerships with federal and state agencies, and other managers of land and cultural sites that comprise the hubs and spokes of the statewide network of greenways.

DCNR should encourage participation in land acquisition and facilities development for greenways of statewide significance. National and state forests, game lands, headwaters and lakes are important hubs in the statewide network of greenways. DCNR could work with respective federal and state agencies to include these important hubs in the statewide network. Coordination with greenways efforts of adjacent states also can provide mutual benefits. While many of these "hubs" support greenways-based recreation, others may require physical (trail construction) or policy (user policies) updates to support their connections to the statewide network. The coordination required as part of this effort can be achieved largely through the participation in the Greenways Interagency Coordination Team (described in the Greenways Organizational Structure Strategy).

3. Collect and organize "hubs and spokes" data in a powerful GIS format.

GIS can provide a platform for tracking these greenways networks over time. DCNR should work with the Governor's Center for Local Government Services, DEP and other state agency partners initiating or maintaining GIS resources to develop a GIS capable of displaying and analyzing information about greenways across the state. A key data source will be counties, participating municipalities and regional organizations developing "greenway plans," as described in the Greenprints for Growth Strategy. Also important will be state and federal data collected on greenway hubs and spokes such as federal lands, state parks, game lands and recreation efforts, conservation areas, critical habitats, prime agricultural resources, flood plains, and watershed information. Additionally, the greenways of statewide significance should be represented in the GIS along with supporting information. Please refer to the technical memorandum on GIS for more information.

4. Perform a "gap" analysis using the GIS data to identify potential "preferred" connections.

DCNR should analyze the initial GIS data collected and create a baseline map of existing and planned greenways networks throughout the state. Several map layers may be necessary to emphasize different types of greenways and their associated connections. This mapping effort may be done in collaboration with non-profit organizations and institutions of higher learning. Once the baseline maps are generated, DCNR, through a consensus-building process with greenways partners, should identify where critical gaps occur in the statewide network of greenways. DCNR and its partners also should determine priorities for bridging the gaps. Results of the gap analysis should be widely distributed and this process should occur periodically as the GIS is updated.

5. Initiate demonstration projects at the county and local levels to implement key segments of the statewide network of greenways.

Within each county, at least one project should be selected to implement a key segment of the statewide network of greenways. Through gap analysis, DCNR can provide guidance in the selection of demonstration projects, with the goal of initiating these projects within seven years of launching the Greenways Program. A partnership of state, regional and local governments and nongovernmental greenways partners will be needed to accomplish these projects. Local sponsors will also need to develop a broad network of support among civic associations, parks and recreation departments, law enforcement departments, city and local planning departments, Chambers of Commerce, elected officials, business associations, managers of parks and forests, etc.

6. Establish processes for regular reporting on the progress of the statewide network of greenways.

The Greenways GIS effort will require regular review by state agencies, regional planning agencies, including Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and Local Development Districts (LDDs) and regional or local task forces to ensure that the information reflects current activity. DCNR should track the progress of "infilling" gaps and establishing the statewide network of greenways.

7. Explore ways to maintain greenways in the statewide network of greenways.

DCNR should evaluate the costs and requirements of maintaining existing and planned greenways, and explore strategies that will address provision of this maintenance. For example, programs modeled after Business Development Districts, in which businesses and organizations that benefit from greenways participate in funding their maintenance, has been suggested. Other strategies may provide incentives for local and regional governments to maintain greenways. Strategies that can be applied to different types of greenways should be evaluated and documented through joint efforts of PennDOT, DCNR, DEP and PHMC, with assistance from other agencies. Programs can then be developed to provide guidance or direct assistance in appropriate circumstances.