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OUTDOOR TOWN INITIATIVE
Press Release … Juliann Doyle – Outdoor Town Committee
Forest City Chosen to Participate in Outdoor Town Initiative - Gathering Set to Hear from the Public
Forest City has been chosen from other towns across the Commonwealth by the
Pa Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to be one of the first towns to receive a start up grant to highlight the recreation of our area, ie: trails, hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, shopping, eating, etc. The committee, made up of the Greater Forest City Business Alliance (GFCBA), has been working since February to gather information into an Action Plan for revitalization of the downtown Forest City and the area around Forest City.
Members of the greater Forest City area community are invited on Thursday, September 9, 2021, to gather at the FCA Historical Society (Forest City Area), 633 Main Street beginning at 6PM to help shape the future of the Forest City area. The interactive community gathering will ask the public to help prioritize ideas to form an action plan for revitalization of the greater Forest City area. The historical society is handicapped accessible, and air conditioned for your convenience.
For more information please email: gfcba13@gmail.com or call Juliann at 570-499-4908. Please make plans to attend and help write the next chapter to more Forest City forward into the future!
Outdoor Towns Grant Project
Forest City is pleased to announce its participation in an exciting new program - Outdoor Towns!
Outdoor Towns is a dynamic initiative that helps revitalize communities using outdoor recreation assets like trails, parks, and rivers. The approach is two-fold, the first is to attract visitors, seeking adventure and fun using our region’s outdoor assets to Forest City and then, enticing new businesses to serve visitors by providing services like restaurants, lodging, bars, and retail. Forest City will be a great fit for this program, with our "Mile of Hospitality”, the D & H Trail (recently named “Trail of the Year” by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources!), Kennedy Park, the Lackawanna River, and other great outdoor places.
Forest City was selected as one of two communities in Pennsylvania to participate in this pilot program that will explore the opportunities to improve our local economy and the Borough’s quality of life. The Outdoor Economy is big business in Pennsylvania, generating over $29 billion in consumer spending, $8.6 billion in wages and 251,000 direct jobs across the state!
The Outdoor Towns Program is designed to work with residents, local government, and business owners, to develop a vision for the community and create an Action Plan that will identify opportunities, set priorities, and tackle projects to make Forest City an Outdoor Town. As part of the process, community members will be invited to participate and provide input through meetings, a survey, and a walking assessment.
The program for Forest City is being funded through a grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and the Rail-Trail Council of NE Pennsylvania, with additional funding provided by the Borough. The program was developed by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and is aimed at generating economic and environmental sustainability of Pennsylvania’s communities by bringing people together through nature and outdoor recreation.
Eastwick Solutions, a consulting firm selected by DCNR, will work with a Forest City Action Team to facilitate the program. For more information, contact Emmitt@eastwicksolutions.com or by calling 215.348.2266
MORE INFORMATION TO COME
Cindy Klenk
Program Manager
Rail-Trail Council of NEPA
PO Box 32
Union Dale, PA 18470
570-679-9300