The Creek Town Program is a unique collaboration between local municipalities and the French Creek Valley Conservancy that seeks to create positive, sustainable economic growth based around the incredible value of French Creek.
Nestled along the banks of the French Creek Water Trail, these towns host many valuable community treasures that hold great history and importance to the region while also providing amenities to water trail users. A recent case study completed on four Pennsylvania water trails found that paddling groups spent a median value of $40 per day in local communities along the water trail during peak usage (ICF Macro, 2012)
The first ‘Creek Town’ projects were piloted in 2012 in the communities of Cambridge Springs, Venango, and Saegertown and included a community assessment phase with local citizens, municipal officials, county planning officials, and local conservation groups.
From this assessment, several projects were identified and prioritized in a project matrix that continues to direct each community for the benefit of both French Creek and of our ‘Creek Towns’. Find out more about each of our pilot communities by clicking the links at left!