NORRISTOWN, PA—Montgomery County has launched a new open space grant program called Montco Forever Green. Facilitated by the Montgomery County Planning Commission (MCPC), the program will begin accepting applications from the County’s 62 municipalities, in addition to nonprofit partners, on September 1, 2025.
The program will make preserving open space more accessible to communities around the County, providing proven economic, social, and environmental benefits for generations to come. Montco Forever Green is supported by data from a 2022 MCPC study, which showed that preserved open space creates a premium for home values; generates jobs and attracts people to spend in the region; reduces pollution and stormwater risks; provides free or low-cost recreational opportunities; and promotes health.
With this launch, Montco Forever Green aims to expand and build upon the county’s prior preservation efforts. Key structural elements of the program include:
- Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
- Eligible applicants include the county’s 62 municipalities and nonprofit land conservation organizations.
- Projects may include fee title or conservation easement acquisitions of any open land in the County; projects may be of any size and located in any setting from rural to suburban to urban.
- The maximum grant award is $500,000.
- A minimum match of 25% of the grant award is required.
- The program is funded through an allocation in the County’s Capital Improvement Plan budget; the allocation for FY 2025 is $2 million.
“Preserving Montgomery County’s natural spaces is an investment that returns nearly $3 billion in housing value, almost $200 million in annual stormwater management savings, and an annual economic boom of about $160 million,” said Neil K. Makhija, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “The Montco Forever Green program ensures that more municipalities than ever before will be able to access the economic, environmental, and social benefits that open space preservation brings to communities. This is an innovative, research-backed evolution of the County’s long-standing commitment to open space preservation.”
County residents supported two landmark open space programs in the 1990s and 2000s, which established a lasting culture of valuing open space and its perpetual preservation across all 62 municipalities.
“From farmland in Franconia Township to a community garden in Norristown, open space is an integral part of building healthy, vibrant communities around Montgomery County,” said Jamila H. Winder, Vice Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “With Montco Forever Green, the County will be a vested partner in this effort, empowering municipalities to reimagine how open space can benefit residents.”
Grant applications will be available to municipalities and non-profit organizations on a rolling basis. MCPC will review all submissions. Those deemed to be feasible will be reviewed by the County’s Open Space Board, which will recommend successful applications for a final, public vote by the Board of Commissioners.
“Montgomery County’s natural lands are essential to the health of our local agriculture, tourism, and even real estate industries,” said Thomas DiBello, Montgomery County Commissioner. “With the launch of this program, leaders in each Montco municipality can think creatively about how these spaces will best serve their residents—knowing the County is a committed partner in that project.”
More information, including the program’s guidebook, is available on the program webpage.
MCPC Staff Contact: Bill Hartman, bill.hartman@montgomerycountypa.gov, 610-278-3746
Media Contact: Megan Alt, megan.alt@montgomerycountypa.gov
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
