WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a significant move for the Keystone State, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) has secured a $387,500 grant for the Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship. The funds, aimed at stimulating growth in the region’s tourism and outdoor recreation workforce, come from the Appalachian Regional Commission and are set to be matched with $258,500 in local and state funds.
This funding will directly benefit rural North Central Pennsylvania communities, including coal communities, by spurring new investment and creating quality jobs. The initiative is part of an ongoing effort to bolster the economy of these regions, which have often been left behind in the past.
The Pennsylvania Wilds Center has been instrumental in growing tourism and outdoor recreation in 13 counties in North Central Pennsylvania. Senator Casey praised the center’s work, saying that it “showcases our state’s crowning natural resources and stimulates local economies, creating jobs for Pennsylvanians where they live.”
This new grant will provide the Pennsylvania Wilds Center with the means to expand its efforts, strengthening the region’s outdoor recreation workforce and supporting the rural economies that rely on it.
Senator Casey has consistently championed funding for the Pennsylvania Wilds Center. In September last year, he secured a $736,000 economic development investment for the initiative. Then, in December 2021, the center was awarded $500,000 as part of the Build Back Better Regional Challenge, an American Rescue Plan initiative. This funding was specifically directed towards supporting the region’s emerging outdoor recreation industry.
Tourism and outdoor recreation are vital cogs in Pennsylvania’s economic machine. They not only contribute to the state’s economy but also help preserve its natural beauty, drawing visitors from across the country and the globe. This latest grant will further empower the Pennsylvania Wilds Center to continue its mission to preserve natural resources, invest in the outdoor recreation and tourism industry, and help revitalize communities across the 13-county region.
The grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission was awarded via the Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies, a program created with funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Senator Casey fought to pass in 2021. The senator states that he continues to advocate for additional federal resources to allow the PA Wilds to further its mission, and highlighting the importance of tourism and outdoor recreation to Pennsylvania’s economy.
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