Ryerson Station park honored for project
Improvements made to the swimming pool at Ryerson Station State Park that made it more accessible were recognized with the Keystone 20th Anniversary Award for an exemplary state park project funded by the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund.
The award was presented Monday as part of a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Keystone Fund. The award was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Growing Greener Coalition, Pennsylvania Land Trust Association, Pennsylvania Library Association, Pennsylvania Parks and Recreation Society and Preservation Pennsylvania.
“For more than two decades, the Keystone Fund has been helping communities protect open space, develop community parks and recreation areas, support libraries, preserve historic sites and protect and improve our state game, forest and park lands,” said presenter Robert Griffith, former executive director of the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society and one of the original Keystone champions.
“This project demonstrates that investments in the Keystone Fund help make real and lasting improvements in our communities.”
The Ryerson Station project was chosen to show one example of how Keystone Funds were used to improve accessibility in state parks and state forests. Improvements at Ryerson Station included the installation of a pool lift to provide access to the water. The Ryerson Station pool is the only free swimming pool in Greene County.
“There is a place for everyone in Pennsylvanian’s beautiful outdoors with plenty of opportunities for play and discovery in the state parks and forests,” said Marci Mowery, executive director of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation. “Thanks to the Keystone Fund, improved access for park and forest users with limited mobility means improved access for all.”
The park received a special wood plaque to be displayed at the site of the project.
The Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund is a dedicated funding source for recreation and conservation projects, libraries, historic preservation initiatives and higher education. Established in 1993 with an approved voter referendum, a 48-0 vote in the Pennsylvania Senate and a 196-3 vote in the House, the Keystone Fund automatically receives 15 percent of the state’s realty transfer tax. Since its establishment, the fund has helped conserve more than 154,000 acres of green space, supported more than 1,900 park projects and funded 570 historic preservation projects and more than 200 library projects.