HARRISBURG – PA Auditor General Timothy DeFoor released an audit of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources that showed it did not award all Community Conservation Partnerships Program grants competitively, instead using its own discretion when awarding some grants despite advertising it as a competitive process. DeFoor said they found instances where DCNR executive management made the decision to award grants to applicants who missed application deadlines, funded projects that were ranked lower than others, or ignored the ranking all together. He added this very concerning because DCNR’s executive management opened the door to outside pressure and influence in awarding state grants by not solely relying on the advertised process. When management can make its own rules, it diminishes the integrity of a grant program. Auditors provided seven recommendations to DCNR to improve the grant process and oversight. You can read the complete audit by clicking on the photo below.
TIMOTHY DEFOOR