Grand View Scenic Byway Park Addition
Help Protect an Urban Forest Right in Your Back Yard
As Pittsburgh grows its brand as a "green" city, we have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to helping Pittsburgh and our immediate community stay Truly Green! This rare opportunity to protect more than 17 acres of mature woodlands, springs and trails within a mile of a major city is remarkable.
Arrow indicates approximate location of tract to be added
to Grand View Scenic Byway Park, at the southwest end
of Mt. Washington. (Click to enlarge.)
The Grand View Scenic Byway Park, the 235 acre park that embraces Mount Washington and Duquesne Heights, has the opportunity to grow. A 17 acre parcel (off nearby Shaler Street) is the missing link in the park's green loop, and once purchased will provide forever many benefits for the neighborhood, such as scenic beauty, buffering noise and air pollution from Saw Mill Run, and convenient access to nature trails. This substantially sized piece of land is critical to creating a unique and continuous woodland trail experience around Mt Washington.
Allegheny Land Trust and Mt. Washington Community Development Corporation (MWCDC) are working together to raise the necessary funding from State and Foundation sources. The total project cost is $224,000 and the funding plan includes a goal of 10% of the project cost ($22,400) to be supported by the local community. Local support is critical to meet state matching requirements and to demonstrate to major foundation funders that the local neighborhood—the primary beneficiary—is willing to support efforts to ensure that the land is protected.
We have now raised $101,000 toward the
$224,00 needed to purchase of this addition
to the Grand View Scenic Byway Park.
As of mid-June, nearly 70% ($155,505) of the funding needed to complete this project has been raised. Initial funding came from an $81,000 Community Conservation Partnerships Program Grant Award from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and a $20,000 grant from the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation. You can read more about these grants in our press release. Additional support has come from fund-raising events held by Mt. Washington residents.
Over the course of the next 10 to 12 months (our deadline is December 1, 2010), community fundraising efforts will be taking place across Mount Washington and Duquesne Heights neighborhoods. Please check back for details about how you can participate in these special events to protect Mt. Washington's green space and its neighborhoods' lush, green, and healthy character.
Right now, you can help by making an on-line donation restricted to this project using the secure Click & Pledge server. If you prefer to contribute by mail, fill in the convenient contribution form, print it, and mail it to us with your check. For more information or to volunteer for this project, please or call us at 412-741-2750.