Department of Agriculture
Thanks to Governor Rendell’s Growing Greener II initiative, Pennsylvania can continue to be the national leader in farmland preservation. Growing Greener II provided $80 million to preserve valuable Pennsylvania farmland.  The Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program was developed in 1988 to help slow the loss of prime farmland to non-agricultural uses. The program enables state, county and local governments to purchase conservation easements, also called development rights, from owners of quality farmland.  Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program allocated $65 million in Growing Greener II funds to participating counties in 2006, that combined with other funding sources to set a record allocation of $102 million that year.  In 2007, an additional $4 million was committed to counties for the purchase of easements.  The balance of Growing Greener II funding, $11 million, is currently set aside for County Environmental Initiative Projects.  Pennsylvania’s Farmland Preservation Program is nationally recognized, having secured 354,741 acres and 3,166 farms, more than any other state. To apply for a farmland preservation grant, contact your local Farmland Preservation County Administrator.

Department of Community and Economic Development
The Department of Community and Economic Development oversees the $50 million of Growing Greener II funding dedicated specifically for downtown improvement projects. Local government entities and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for the grant funds, which can be used for acquisition, predevelopment, construction, renovation and capital costs of infrastructure projects that are located in a municipality's central business district. Projects will be reviewed and approved based on the Keystone Principles for Growth, Investment & Resource Conservation, with preference given for projects of significant scale and impact, as well as projects that are in need of gap financing.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources uses $217.5 million in Growing Greener II funds to supplement DCNR's existing programs for facility and infrastructure improvements to state parks and state forests to create better amenities, improve visitor services, and assure visitor safety in one of the largest park systems in the country; to protect threatened lands and open spaces in communities and surrounding state parks and forests; and for grants to help communities meet their "green" infrastructure needs like parks rehabilitation and facility development, riverfront access, trails, and greenways. More information on DCNR's grant programs is available here.

Department of Environmental Protection
Through the Growing Greener II initiative, the Department of Environmental Protection is authorized to allocate $230 million to clean up rivers and streams; restore abandoned mines and contaminated industrial sites; and finance the development and deployment of advanced energy projects. Specifically, project funding is available for mine and acid mine drainage remediation, flood protection, remediation of environmental contamination at former industrial sites, advanced energy projects, and oil and gas well plugging.  In addition, funding is also available for watershed protection projects including, drinking water and wastewater treatment infrastructure construction and enhancement, dam rehabilitation and removal, and implementation of projects identified in the State Water Plan. More information on DEP's Grant and Loan Programs is available here.