The Adirondack Community Recreation Alliance has announced a new round of grant funding for projects that develop outdoor recreation opportunities in Adirondack communities. The Alliance will award several grants of up to $5,000 that help advance its principles, are right-sized for this small-grants program, and leverage networks and funding to fuel positive change.

“We have seen how community-based recreation can drive community vitality, improve quality of life, and help us attract young people to our community,” says Jeff Allott, Town Board member in Elizabethtown and owner of Solace Cycles wo serves on the Alliance’s steering committee.  “We’re excited to invite proposals that can fuel this kind of momentum in Adirondack communities.”

The Alliance is an ad hoc group dedicated to enhancing and developing new community-based recreation assets, increasing a regionally-embraced stewardship ethic, and advancing policies that help secure long-lasting community and economic benefits for Adirondack towns and villages. The Northern Forest Center coordinates the alliance.

Generous individuals have donated funds to create the Alliance’s Innovation Fund to help communities, businesses, and non-profits create or enhance local efforts to increase the community benefit of outdoor recreation. Previous grants have helped develop a pump track for cyclists in Keene, assess mountain biking trail options in Tupper Lake, and improve trails on Panther Mountain near Tupper Lake.

Proposals are due Feb. 25, 2022. A full description of the grant program and link to the proposal template is available on the Adirondack Community Recreation Alliance’s grants web page.