Lower Saucon EAC authorizes support letter for Homestead Park watershed grant

The Lower Saucon Township Environmental Advisory Council voted to authorize the chair to sign a support letter for a Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley grant application to improve signage and trail conditions at Homestead Park.

Members reviewed a draft letter prepared by the Watershed Coalition and Saucon Creek Watershed Association and agreed it was consistent with the EAC’s role. Laura Ray, who helped walk the park loop, said the trail is "in need of help" and that the draft letter aligned with the committee’s views; she said she was "100% supportive personally." The Watershed Coalition is the formal applicant; the township’s letter is a supporting endorsement to accompany the grant application.

The committee discussed logistics and timing: the mini‑Greenways grant is a fixed pool administered through regional Lehigh Valley Greenways and has a tight deadline the coming days. Members noted typical awards cited in the discussion as up to $10,000 per project, while other references to larger Lehigh Valley Greenway funding limits were mentioned as context. Committee members clarified the initial support letter need not include an itemized list of requested expenditures; the Watershed Coalition will identify volunteers and any maintenance help from township crews if the grant is awarded.

After brief discussion, a member moved to authorize the chair to sign the letter on behalf of the EAC; the motion was seconded and the chair announced the motion carried and signed the letter at the meeting.

Next steps: committee members will provide signatures and the chair will deliver the printed letter for timely submission. The application deadline and final award amount were not yet confirmed at the meeting.