Rep. Susan Wild Joins Weatherly Mayor and Local Advocates to Celebrate Funding for New Penn Haven Trail

Today, Congresswoman Susan Wild joined Weatherly Mayor Paul Hadzick, Borough Manager Harold Pudliner, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Deputy Secretary of Conservation and Technical Services Claire Jantz, and Trust for Public Land's Land Protection Manager Ellen Lott to visit the site of the Penn Haven trail.

"Once used to deliver coal from Carbon County across the country, the Penn Haven trail will now be used to connect residents and nature lovers throughout our community to the outdoors while also improving our water quality," said Congresswoman Susan Wild. "By connecting Weatherly to the Delaware & Lehigh trail, Penn Haven will expand outdoor recreation activities throughout the Lehigh Valley, as well as invest in the Black Creek Watershed. I'm proud to have brought federal funding home for this project, and I'll continue working to ensure the Greater Lehigh Valley receives its fair share in the upcoming budget negotiations."

"We are thrilled to help bring improved access to the outdoors to the people of Weatherly and Carbon County," said Owen Franklin, Vice President for the Great Lakes Region at Trust for Public Land. "Collaborative efforts like this show how much we can accomplish when we work together. The Penn Haven Trail is a triple win for the community - it conserves important habitat, provides opportunities for outdoor recreation, and will help build a sustainable economy in Carbon County. We are grateful to Congresswoman Wild's support and look forward to working with her in the future."

This project, which Rep. Wild brought home over $1.7 million for, was one of five projects in Carbon County Rep. Wild secured Community Project Funding for in the Fiscal Year 2024 government funding package, and one of 14 projects throughout the Greater Lehigh Valley that she successfully advocated for to be included in the final package. The grant will allow the Borough of Weatherly to acquire the 1,140-acre Penn Haven property to preserve water quality in the Black Creek watershed, provide additional outdoor recreation opportunities for the public, and build a five-mile trail linking Weatherly with the much-used, scenic Delaware & Lehigh Trail.

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