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Keystone Fund grants have supported over 3,700 community park projects, including ball fields, green spaces, playgrounds, pools, and recreation centers.
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The Keystone Fund helps communities help themselves. Each dollar in Keystone Fund grants typically leverages $3.13 in direct local investments in our parks, trails, community green spaces, and libraries.
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The Keystone Fund was created in 1993 with overwhelming support in the Pennsylvania legislature. In November 1993, 67% of Pennsylvanians voted to supplement the Keystone Fund’s permanent funding stream with $50 million in bond revenues.
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The Keystone Fund has helped to preserve more than 161,000 acres of open space for people and wildlife.

Swimming for Everyone
Come summer, there’s nothing to compare to the relief afforded by a dip in the water – be it a stream, a lake, or a swimming pool. Thanks to the Keystone Fund, improved beach and pool access for swimmers of all abilities is now possible in locations as diverse as the lakefront at Poe Valley and the swimming pool at Ryerson Station.

Nature as It Should Be
So today, 11 years after Erie Bluffs became a state park, I’m reminded often that our efforts were well worth it. We see more and more activity as people find out about the park, and the most common question is “what is DCNR going to do with the park?” My answer is usually “nothing,” and it usually is well-received. It seems most people are fine with no formal trails, signage, or pavilions. They enjoy the natural surroundings and the freedom to explore and take in nature as it should be.