Proposed DCNR 2024-2025 Budget
Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2024-2025 budget proposal includes a strong investment in the stewardship of Pennsylvania’s natural resources, with new funding to build trails and expand the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps program.
As he promised in his first budget proposal, Governor Shapiro
launched the Office of Outdoor Recreation in 2023 to make Pennsylvania the national leader in outdoor recreation.
Also included in the 2023-2024 budget was $112 million to maintain and improve infrastructure in parks and forests -- the single largest investment in decades.
Overall, the proposed 2024-2025 Commonwealth budget includes $630.5 million for DCNR across all funding sources.
Build and Maintain Trails
Governor Shapiro is supporting the outdoor recreation economy by proposing an $8.5 million investment in state parks and forests that will make Pennsylvania a premier destination for exceptional trail experiences, benefiting the economic competitiveness of communities, tourism, and public health.
The budget as proposed would enable DCNR to:
- Design and construct new trails in state parks and forests
- Retrofit, widen, and otherwise improve existing trails in state parks and forests
- Prepare to respond to damage that currently cannot be quickly addressed when emergencies occur
Growing the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps
To improve public lands, the proposed budget builds on the success of the
Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps with a $5 million investment in a regional effort to diversify and strengthen conservation career and workforce pathways for young people and protect our natural resources.
Outdoor Recreation Economy
The Governor’s 2024-2025 budget also calls for significant investments directly tied back to a recently released
Pennsylvania Economic Development Strategy.
Outdoor recreation adds $17 billion to the Pennsylvania economy and creates 164,000 jobs which earn Pennsylvanians $8 billion in wages and salaries.
The
Growing Outdoor Recreation for Pennsylvania (PDF) report will guide the work of the Office of Outdoor Recreation and includes more than 50 actions to assist with the larger strategic priorities of:
- Building capacity within Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation industry
- Building community and economic development capacity
- Building the capacity for inclusive and equitable wellbeing for Pennsylvania.
The legislature will review the Governor’s proposed budget and enact budget bills for the Governor’s approval. The current fiscal year ends June 30.
Find more information about
Governor Shapiro’s proposed budget on the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget website or the Shapiro Budget website which includes a
video of his budget address.
Additional Resources
DCNR House Appropriations Committee Testimony - February 28, 2024 (PDF)
DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn’s written testimony for the House budget hearing on Wednesday, February 28, 2024.
DCNR 2024-2025 Legislative Budget Hearings Book (PDF)
DCNR’s Legislative Hearing Book provides documentation for the department’s General Fund appropriations and contains additional details supporting funding received.
DCNR 2024-2025 Budget Hearings Listing of Contracts (PDF)
A contract list shows all contracts and grants more than $5,000.
DCNR 2024-2025 Request for Approval of Federal Funds (ZIP)
The Request for Approval of Federal Funds zip file shows all federal appropriations contained in DCNR’s budget.