Pennsylvania state parks and forests protect our water supplies, provide a reliable source of timber to the wood products industry, support critical wildlife habitat, and offer tremendous opportunities for outdoor recreation. Each year, tens of millions of visitors explore Pennsylvania’s natural beauty in state parks and forests.
The Keystone Fund provides funding critical for rehabilitating and upgrading park and forest infrastructure, which helps conserve these resources and ensure a safe and healthy setting for public recreation and environmental education—since 1993, the Keystone Fund has invested over $191 million in maintenance and improvement projects. This funding is critical, especially considering the $1 billion maintenance backlog facing Pennsylvania state parks and forests.
Keystone Fund projects in state parks (1997–2015)
Keystone Fund projects in state forests (1997–2015)
Click here for maps showing relative spending amounts of the Keystone Fund in state parks and forests.
Examples of projects:
1. Campsites and cottages
- Campground and campsite rehabilitation and electrification
- Purchase of fire-rings, grills, and playground equipment
2. Resource management
- Reforestation, park rehabilitation, reforestation, and removal of hazard tress
- Stream liming, stream bank stabilization, and construction of riparian buffers
- Wildlife habitat work and invasive control and pest control projects
- Beach rehabilitation
3. Flood and emergency
- Repair damage to hiking and snowmobile trails
- Stream bank restoration
- Debris removal
4. Park and forest buildings
- Classroom and museum repairs and additions
- Improvements to and construction of visitors’ centers
- ADA building upgrades
- Swimming pool repairs
5. Comfort stations and shower houses
- Construction of restroom facilities and pool showers
6. Dams
- Construction and rehabilitation of dams on state park land
- Structural and storm damage repairs
7. Roads and bridges
- Park and forest road rehabilitation
- Installation and replacement of guide rails on bridges
8. Trails and outdoor recreation
- Playground equipment and picnic tables
- Construction of ADA fishing piers
- Trail construction and rehabilitation
9. Water and sewer projects
- Water systems rehabilitation and emergency water line repairs
- Installation of water fountains
