Devault, Pa., February 12, 2026 — French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust is excited to announce it has been awarded $100,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR) for lawn conversions and tree plantings on properties permanently protected with French & Pickering. This grant is one of 295 conservation and recreation project awards totaling $82 million announced by the PA DCNR on January 12, 2026, funded through the Community Conservation Partnerships Program. A portion of this grant is also supported by Aqua, an Essential Utilities Company.
This award builds on a $159,700 grant awarded to French & Pickering by the PA DCNR in 2023 to develop a program for lawn conversions and tree plantings.
Property owners whose land is protected with a French & Pickering conservation easement and meets eligibility criteria can receive technical assistance and up to 80% of costs covered to convert their lawns to native meadows and plant native trees along streams. French & Pickering will work with landowners and ecological restoration contractors to perform site preparations, plantings, and post-planting maintenance.
“French & Pickering is delighted to build on the success of this program with the support of DCNR and Aqua,” noted Karl Russek, Conservation Director. “This work is improving the conservation value of our protected lands and advancing our mission to preserve, steward, and connect people to the land.”
To learn more about this project and whether your property qualifies, please contact Karena DiLeo at kdileo@frenchandpickering.org.
Read more about the recent PA DCNR awards here: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/newsroom/shapiro-administration-invests-nearly–82-million-in-recreation-
