Archive for the ‘Lackawanna Greenway & Lackawanna River Heritage Trail’ Category

LHVA Announces Inaugural Photo Contest

Friday, November 6th, 2009

The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority (LHVA) invites all amateur and professional photographers to help tell the story of the Lackawanna Valley! Photographers are welcome to submit images to the inaugural “Views from the Valley” photo contest. 

All photographs must be taken within the boundaries of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley, which includes all of Lackawanna County and designated townships or boroughs in Luzerne, Wayne, and Susquehanna Counties. Images must be captured between October 1, 2009, and May 31, 2010. 

The deadline for submission to LHVA is June 1, 2010. 

LHVA is looking for images that capture the beauty and essence of the Lackawanna Valley and showcase the region’s cultural, historic, and natural resources. Photos must be registered in one of three categories: Land, People, or Industry. Photos will further be divided into two divisions, Professional and Amateur. There is a $10 entry fee for each participant. All images must be submitted in both digital and printed format. 

First, second, and third place will be awarded for each category in each division, as well as a “Best in Show” prize for professional and amateur photographers. Winning photos will be displayed at a First Friday Art Walk in downtown Scranton at the end of the contest. 

Complete rules and regulations, entry forms, and model release forms are available online at http://www.lhva.org/photo-contest.html. For more information, please contact Sarah Piccini, LHVA Program Manager, at (570) 963-6730 x8227 or spiccini@LHVA.org.

Posted in Arts & Culture, Environment & Conservation, Events, Family Events & Programs, History & Heritage, Lackawanna Greenway & Lackawanna River Heritage Trail | No Comments »

LHVA’s Greenway & Trail Public Information Meeting Just 4 Days Away!

Friday, September 18th, 2009

Reminder! LHVA’s Greenway & Trail Public Information Meeting is next Tuesday, September 22, 2009. Be sure to join us at Steamtown National Historic Site at 6 p.m. to hear updates on the trail and the greenway. There will be information on the proposed routes for trail sections under development; the proposed boundary for the Lackawanna Greenway including trails, lakes, parks, open spaces; and the design concepts for new trail sections. The event will feature lots of new maps and a great presentation.

The event is free. Come give us your input!

Join LHVA on Facebook to send in your RSVP – http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Lackawanna-Heritage-Valley-Authority/80411196448.

Click Here for Directions: http://www.nps.gov/stea/planyourvisit/directions.htm

Posted in Environment & Conservation, Events, Lackawanna Greenway & Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, LHVA In the News | No Comments »

LHVA Partners with Penn State Landscape Architecture Program

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority is partnering with the Landscape Architecture department at Penn State University to sponsor “The Lackawanna Valley Studio: Heritage as a Catalyst for Sustainable Community Planning and Design.”  Using the heritage and history of the Lackawanna Valley, students in this upper-level course will look at community planning and design in a city currently undergoing a transformation. Students will focus on the design of spur trails, trailheads, signage, trail amenities, and green space. Students will present both individual and group projects to LHVA. 

On August 31, Professors Ceclia Rusnak and Ken Hendrickson toured the Lackawanna Heritage Valley with their students and LHVA staff.  The students took the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour; visited the remains of the Gravity Slope Colliery in Archbald, the Co-op Farmer’s Market in Scranton, and Old Forge Bore Hole, the site of acid mine drainage pollution into the Lackawanna River; followed the existing and proposed alignment of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail (LRHT); and traveled through Waymart and South Canaan to see active farmland. The day ended with an ice-cream stop at Keating’s Heaven’s Gate. Photos from the day’s adventures can be found on LHVA’s flickr photosteam at

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/lackawannaheritage/sets/72157622091789151/.

Posted in Arts & Culture, Environment & Conservation, History & Heritage, Lackawanna Greenway & Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, LHVA In the News | No Comments »

SAVE THE DATE! Greenway & Trail Public Meeting Set for Sept. 22

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
LHVA will hold its second public meeting on the Lackawanna Greenway and the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail on Tuesday, September 22, 2009, at Steamtown National Historic Site in Downtown Scranton, PA. Registration begins at 6:00 p.m. and the presentation begins at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and the public is invited to attend. Presentation topics will include: proposed routes for new trail sections; proposed boundary for the Lackawanna Greenway with spur trails & parks; and design concepts for new trail sections.
 
Mark your calendar today and check back soon for more information!
 

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Lackawanna Greenway Plan and Trail Feasibility Study

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

LHVA is pleased to announce that it was awarded grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and the National Park Service to conduct the “Lackawanna Greenway Plan, Lackawanna River Heritage Trail (LRHT) Feasibility Study, and CNJ Trail Extension Master Site Plan.”

As the first step in this exciting project, LHVA has begun the process of selecting a consultant. A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued on February 13, 2009, and the announcement of the RFP was sent to more than 50 planning, engineering, and landscape design firms. A mandatory pre-bid meeting for all interested firms was held on February 25, attracting a variety of firm representatives who expressed interest in the project. All proposals were submitted on March 4, 2009. LHVA will select and engage a firm to begin work on the project by early April.

The Lackawanna Greenway is a system of interconnected trails, parks, and open spaces along the Lackawanna River. The primary trail in the Greenway is the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail (LRHT), a multi-use recreational trail that closely follows the river for forty miles from Forest City to the confluence of the Lackawanna and Susquehanna Rivers at Duryea and Pittston.

The Lackawanna Greenway Plan and LRHT Feasibility Study will accomplish the following:

  • A comprehensive assessment of the Lackawanna Greenway.
  • A feasibility study for each section of the LRHT, including improved sections, those currently under development, and the undeveloped sections.
  • Determination of the trail route for each undeveloped section of the LRHT.
  • A Master Site Plan for the Scranton CNJ Trail Extension with biddable construction document package.
  • Identification of potential or existing spur trails in the Lackawanna Greenway.
  • Development of a concept plan for the Lackawanna Greenway and the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail.
  • A clear and achievable action plan for the immediate implementation of the study’s recommendations.
  • An extensive public participation campaign.

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