At Schuykill River Greenway, we are serious about our investment in Berks and Schuykill Counties, and we are launching a 5 year, five-million-dollar Stewardship Fund Campaign to prove it.   “Our #1 priority as an organization is to get this trail finished,” SRG Executive Director, Elaine Schaefer said in her opening remarks on July 13th to the crowd gathered at the Morlatton Trailhead.  As it stands now, the Schuykill River Trail is 40 miles short of its 120-mile goal and those miles are in Berks and Schuylkill County.

The Stewardship Fund will eventually provide a sustainable source of capital for increasingly common large-scale maintenance, repair, and upgrade projects required to keep the SRT open, accessible, and safe for all, while also enabling the completion of the trail.

It was a perfect July evening for the group to take the short walk to the Douglassville Bridge where they could see first-hand the growing debris pile that is collecting underneath the bridge.  Deputy Director, Tim Fenchel, explained that this type of project, although necessary, diverts funding away from completion of the trail.   SRGHA, a non-profit, has sole responsibility for trail maintenance and improvements in Schuylkill and Berks Counties.

The Schuylkill River Trail benefits more than just the cyclists and hikers who use it.  “The economic impact is proven,” Schaefer said. Citing examples of other similar trails, she continued, “It revitalizes towns. There will be economic vitality up and down this trail.”

To contribute to our Stewardship Fund Campaign,  CLICK HERE