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County launches 'MCO Forever Green' grants with new access for Norristown projects
Summary
Montgomery County planners briefed Norristown council on MCO Forever Green, a rolling open-space grant program with $2 million for 2026, 25% local-match requirements and awards up to $500,000 intended to make open-space funding more accessible to urban places like Norristown.
Bill, trails and open-space planning manager with the Montgomery County Planning Commission, briefed Norristown Borough Council on a new county grant program, MCO Forever Green, designed to broaden access to open-space funding and adapt eligibility to urban settings.
"Last fall we rolled out a new open space grant program called MCO Forever Green," Bill said, describing the program as a formalized, better-marketed funding stream. He said the county typically budgets about $3.5 million annually for open-space preservation and that the 2026 allocation for the new program is $2 million.
Under the program, municipalities and qualifying nonprofits may apply for grants for fee acquisitions or conservation easements. Bill said the county lowered its historic one-to-one match requirement to a 25% match so smaller municipalities and land trusts can compete. He also said the maximum grant award is $500,000 and that the program is a rolling application process designed to accommodate time-sensitive real-estate transactions.
County staff emphasized that the program expands the county’s definition of "open space" to include urban features such as pocket parks, community gardens, urban plazas and other small-acreage sites that provide public access and recreational or cultural benefits in denser neighborhoods like Norristown. The planning manager said public access is generally required for county-funded sites except where ecological sensitivity makes access inappropriate.
Council members asked how nonprofits or small organizations that lack cash could meet match requirements; the county representative said matching can include non-cash expenses such as appraisals, surveys and legal counsel and that municipalities and nonprofits may co-apply or form coalitions to meet match obligations.
The presentation emphasized evaluation criteria including conservation value, feasibility, public benefit, plan compatibility and financial viability. Staff noted that any recommendation from the county’s open-space board would go to the county commissioners for final approval.
Next steps: Interested Norristown officials and local land trusts were invited to contact county planning staff to discuss pre-application screening and potential projects. Bill offered printed program guides and individual follow-up to prospective applicants.
