SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - State Senator Adam Gomez joined the Healey-Driscoll Administration to announce $2 million in grant funding for park improvements in Hampden County. Ambulance service expanding in western Massachusetts The grants are part of a statewide $27.8 million initiative to improve parks and conserve open spaces across Massachusetts, benefiting 54 communities. The grants, awarded by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), will help municipalities and land trusts safeguard land for outdoor recreation, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity. "These grants will have a huge impact on local communities, transforming underused areas into vibrant recreational spaces for future generations," said Sen. Gomez. "As our cities become more crowded, it's crucial to preserve land that offers both recreation and relief." Hampden County will receive the following grants: Chicopee: $500,000 Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) grant for improvements to Sarah Jane Park. The project will upgrade soccer fields and baseball diamonds, add bleachers, a universally accessible playground, picnic tables, and a skatepark, and improve pedestrian paths and irrigation systems. Springfield: $500,000 PARC grant for Phase 2 of the Blunt Park project, which includes enhancements to the park entrance, parking lot, accessible walking paths, outdoor fitness equipment, and softball fields, as well as landscaping and tree plantings. Springfield: $1,000,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant for Magazine Park, which will feature an accessible splash pad, playground, restrooms, a softball diamond, picnic areas, walking paths, and landscaping improvements. For more information on the statewide grants, visit the EEA website. Local News Headlines Leader of catalytic converter theft ring sentenced to 10 years in prison Pittsfield police investigate stabbing incident, victim in critical condition Pumpkins looking great for local farmers after drier summer season Congressman Richard Neal condemns Iran’s missile attack on Israel WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.