At its April 11 meeting, the Land Conservancy of Adams County Board of Directors chose Dave Salisbury to serve as its president, and selected Carrie Russell to serve as vice president. New board members Lynn Garskof and Betsy Meyer joined the meeting as well. Katie Epstein and Chris Little will continue serving as treasurer and secretary, respectively. read more
Conservation Organization
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April
26
March
Brandywine Water Trail Kicks off with Public Meetings
Almost 150 local residents, paddling enthusiasts and local stakeholders attended one of the Brandywine Conservancy's public meetings seeking feedback on a proposed Brandywine water trail. Held in Downingtown and Chadds Ford during the month of February, these informal gatherings sought input and suggestions on additional water trail amenities, put-ins, safety and privacy read more
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March
The Nature Place Earns LEED Gold Certification
Berks Nature's The Nature Place has been awarded LEED Gold status by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). What does that mean? Here's a little cheat sheet: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is bestowed by the USGBC based on a rating system that measures a building’s environmental impact. Projects earn LEED points based on items such as read more
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March
WPC Seeking Qualified Farmers to Lease Preserved Farmland
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) is now accepting proposals for two agricultural leases at 218 Uber Road, Findley Township, Mercer County. WPC acquired the farm in December 2018 as part of the WPC Farmland Access Program, which seeks to lease farms at affordable rates to farmers producing food for the Pittsburgh region. WPC's goal is to balance sustainable read more
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January
Brandywine Conservancy Seeks Public Input for New Water Trail Project
As part of the Brandywine Creek Greenway initiative, the Brandywine Conservancy and Chester County Planning Commission are studying the feasibility of a Brandywine Water Trail—a formalized route along the waterway for recreational use, enhanced by connections to land trails. Two public meetings are scheduled for February 5 and 12 to get input from the community on routes that read more
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August
Central Pennsylvania Conservancy Earns First-Time Accreditation
On August 7, the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, a program promoting national quality standards for ensuring permanence in the conservation of American lands, announced more than 400 land trusts have now earned the national accreditation mark of distinction. This new total came as 39 land trusts across the country were recognized for having completed the rigorous process read more
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June
Census Report: PA Land Trusts Expand Conserved Land by 36%
The 2017 Pennsylvania Land Trust Census Report highlights the success of land trusts across the state (as of 12/31/17) and includes the latest land trust rankings. Download the full report here. The biennial census found that, between January 2008 and December 2017, Pennsylvania land trusts: Expanded the lands they have conserved by 36% Conserved 189,000 acres of read more
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April
Land Trusts and Others Receive Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award
Repurposing tons of scrap auto carpet. Making streams healthier by planting native trees on the family farm. Greatly reducing city lighting expenses with energy efficiency changes. Training a volunteer stormwater pollution reduction workforce. These are just some of the 23 innovative and impassioned initiatives in Pennsylvania chosen by the Department of Environmental read more
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April
Springfield Township Receives Government Conservation Leadership Award
On Saturday, the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PALTA) honored Springfield Township (Bucks County) with the Government Conservation Leadership Award. Representatives from the township received the award at the annual Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference, held this year at The Desmond in Chester County. Many municipalities in southeastern Pennsylvania are blessed with read more
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April
PALTA: Condemnation of McCormick Farm is Ethically and Legally Suspect
The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association issued the following letter to the Cumberland Valley School Board on April 12 regarding its condemnation of McCormick Farm, upon which Natural Lands holds a conservation easement. Re: Condemnation of McCormick Farm Is Ethically and Legally Suspect Dear Directors: These comments regarding the Cumberland Valley’s condemnation of read more
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April
Heritage Conservancy Adds New Board Members; Lists Site on Historic Register
In April, Heritage Conservancy welcomed two new members to its board of directors: Doug Carr, a previous Merck employee who has been integral in multiple biotech startups, and Brian Clark, an environmental lawyer for Buchannan, Ingersoll, and Rooney, PC. "As someone who regularly bike rides past the breathtaking scenery and structures of Bucks County, I want to do my part in read more
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April
DRWI Receives $40 Million in New Funding
On April 4, the William Penn Foundation announced more than $40 million in new funding for the Delaware River Watershed (DRWI), which is among the country’s largest non-governmental conservation efforts to protect and restore clean water. The DRWI is a first-of-its-kind collaboration involving 65 non-governmental organizations working together to protect and restore the read more
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March
Congress Allocates $5 Million for Delaware River Basin Restoration
On March 23rd, the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program (DRBRP) received $5 million in funding as part of the fiscal year 2018 omnibus spending bill approved by Congress. The bill will now go to the president’s desk for his signature. Once the president signs the bill, money will finally begin flowing to local conservation projects throughout the region. The DRBRP was read more
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January
Heritage Conservancy Receives Major Donation to Endowment Fund
In Decemeber, Heritage Conservancy received a generous donation from a local business corporation. The Fred Beans Family of Dealerships donated $150,000 to the Conservancy's Keeping the Promise (KTP) endowment fund. The KTP fund strengthens Heritage Conservancy's promise to landowners and local residents to protect our natural and historic heritage in perpetuity. Entering read more
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October
Hawk Mountain Contributes to Major Advance in Global Raptor Monitoring
On October 16, 2017, an unmanned Russian supply ship successfully docked at the International Space Station. Along with supplies for the astronauts aboard, the ship delivered the new antenna that will help reduce the cost of tracking raptors globally from more than $4000 a unit to less than $600. The international team of scientists, statisticians, and movement ecologists read more
