Most of our associations with the coronavirus pandemic are, not surprisingly, negative — but one positive development during this difficult time is renewed interest in green spaces and parks.

Since so much time has been spent being cooped up in our homes during the pandemic, one of the safest ways for people to get out of the house — especially during the early days of COVID-19 — was to take the family to wide open, outdoor spaces.

And several recent stories in the Eagle involving initiatives to save green space in the county and revitalize outdoor spaces show that those involved were ahead of the curve.

In early September, we ran a story on an ongoing effort to protect Glade Run Lake. Local leaders said the importance of the lake to the community was emphasized during the pandemic as many families took to the outdoors.

During the past nine years since the Glade Run Lake Conservancy was formed — after the lake was drained due to a faulty dam — the group has raised money, obtained grants, created interest in memberships and worked with elected officials. The dam was rebuilt and the lake reopened three years ago.

Part of that story involved the denial of a planned residential development near the lake in 2019 that was strongly opposed by residents, who fought to keep the area as green space.

Then, this past weekend, the Eagle ran a story on how the state is providing funding to Jackson Township for its efforts to turn old reservoirs off Route 19 into recreation space. The initiative is part of a plan to bring more outdoor activities to the region.

Some of the amenities that have been mentioned for the reservoir sites include a trail, picnic and play areas, a parking lot, soccer fields and a boardwalk.

“It’s part of a more regionalized recreation strategy,” said Don Pepe, Zelienople’s borough manager, of the Jackson Township endeavor.

Both the Glade Run initiative and the Jackson Township recreation space project are great examples of people recognizing the importance of providing green space for residents.

Considering the increased attendance at county parks due to COVID-19, their efforts were prescient. We hope renewed interest in outdoor activity inspired by the pandemic will motivate other municipalities to consider how they can ensure there’s good recreation space in their communities.

— NCD