Northampton County Executive Lamont G. McClure and the parks and recreation division announced Northampton County Council voted unanimously to approve the 2025 Livable Landscape Grant Award recommendations at the June 18 meeting.

County council approved all grant projects presented, for a total grant award of $600,000. Five eligible projects were recommended for grant award approval from a review committee. Four projects involved municipal park development and rehabilitation, and one is for regional trail development.

Northampton Borough will receive $100,000 for the Fourth Street Playground refurbishment efforts.

Other grant recipients include Hellertown Borough, $75,000 for Tumminello Park improvements; Palmer Township, $50,000 for Fox Run Park and open space Schoeneck Creek restoration; Upper Mount Bethel Township, $75,000 for UMBT Preserve phase I construction; and Bethlehem City, $300,000 for Greenway Trail gap construction.

The county’s Livable Landscapes Grant Program priorities include land conservation, ecological restoration, education and outreach, municipal park development and rehabilitation and regional trails. All potential applicants participated in a grant workshop and mandatory individualized pre-application meetings.

“Through initiatives like the Northampton County Livable Landscapes Grant Program, we are able to empower our municipalities to protect the county’s important natural features, conduct ecological restoration and provide outdoor recreation for future generations,” McClure said. “Our natural resources, green spaces and recreational opportunities provide an economic value in terms of savings and earned costs, as a return on our investment in our communities.”

“Our grant recipients submitted high-quality, ready-to-go projects,” Conservation Coordinator and Livable Landscapes Grant Administrator Sherry Acevedo said.

The grant projects were consistent with the goals and recommendations of the Livable Landscape, an open space plan for Northampton County and other local, regional and statewide plans.

Cumulatively, since 2006, Northampton County has invested $21.7 million of Livable Landscapes grant awards for land conservation, ecological restoration, streambank stabilization, regional trails, parks, recreation and open space plans and municipal park development and rehabilitation.