Municipal Partners
The project passes through four municipalities who at the beginning entered into a memorandum of understanding to cooperate with and support the project. This was a tremendous boost to having flexibility with staging phases and allowed agencies to handle permitting and funding holistically. These partners also made initial investment commitments to the project that were key to bringing other partners on board.
Private Donors
There are aspects of a project like this that public funding can’t fully meet. In some cases, the public funding wants to see local, private support in the way of matching funds. In other cases, there simply aren’t public funds available for certain things like enhanced amenities or educational programs. Our early private donors helped the project embrace the opportunities and will make the Connector a truly amazing public asset.
County, State, & Federal Partners
For the size and scope of this project, it was crucial for major county, state and federal funders to work together to move the project forward. Their interest in the Connector is that it meets a variety of public priorities – in clean water, floodplain improvement, wetland restoration, trail connectivity and recreation. Their partnership has gone beyond funding, with many providing valuable advice and counsel along the way.
Research Partner
The Blue Green Connector is an active research site in partnership with the Chesapeake Watershed Initiative at Franklin & Marshall College.
Design Partners
The project benefits from the deep knowledge and expertise of ELA Group leading ADA trail design and LandStudies spearheading the floodplain-wetland restoration.
