North Coventry Township Advances Stewardship Through the Open Space Accelerator Grant Program

Posted August 17, 2026

North Coventry Township recently adopted the Coventry Woods Stewardship Plan, developed as a pilot project for Chester County Planning Commission's newly launched Open Space Accelerator Mini-Grant Program.

North Coventry has demonstrated sustained leadership in open space preservation and has built a substantial system of parks, trails, and natural areas supported by strong policies, advisory boards, and community engagement. The creation of Coventry Woods and the protection of more than 1,200 acres of open space represent major conservation achievements within the Township and the Hopewell Big Woods landscape.

As the Township's open space system has grown, so has the need for a more structured, proactive approach to stewardship. The size and ecological complexity of Coventry Woods, along with the Township's growing open space acreage, require long-term attention to forest health, invasive species management, water resource protection, trail sustainability, and ecological resilience.

The Stewardship Plan organizes existing policies and programs into a unified framework, defines conservation priorities and goals for each distinct area of the preserve, and introduces a Stewardship Task Schedule to support work planning, coordination, budgeting, and grant development. It also establishes a model that can be applied across the Township's broader open space system.

With the plan in place, the Township will be better positioned to align staffing, funding, partnerships, and volunteer capacity; strengthen grant applications; and move from primarily acquisition-driven efforts toward coordinated, long-term stewardship of Coventry Woods and the Township's broader network of parks, trails, and open space.

The County appreciates the Township's willingness to participate in the pilot and help shape the program. Other Chester County municipalities can also now participate through the Accelerator Program. Matching grants of up to $10,000 are available on a rolling basis until funding is exhausted, with a required 50% cash match. Funding is limited to seven projects, so municipalities are encouraged to apply early.

Eligible projects include open space prioritization planning, trail connectivity and greenway planning, zoning and regulatory updates, open space policy development, stewardship planning for municipal parks and preserves, sustainability and resilience assessments, and other projects that advance local open space priorities. The program is designed to support a relatively quick, low-cost, and implementation-focused planning process that results in a small number of achievable priority actions while elevating the importance of a community's open space. Projects should build on priorities identified in adopted plans and provide a clear path toward implementation.

Visit the Open Space Accelerator Program webpage for more information about the program, eligible projects, and how to apply.