The 21-acre Robert Brace Nature Reserve was recently donated to the French Creek Valley Conservancy by Robert’s sons. The parcel had been in the Brace family for several generations and is part of a much larger working farm on which the Brace family raised cattle for milking and beef production. The property is located off of Kennedy Hill Road in Union Township, Crawford County and it brings FCVC’s total acres conserved in the watershed to 2502.
The majority of the property is covered in Northern hardwood forest and Hemlocks, with the north eastern corner containing Oak and pine. Three acres in the south western corner contain reverting agriculture fields all of which make great habitat for various wildlife. Another beautiful feature is the mature forested ravine containing an unnamed high gradient, cold-water tributary which flows into Van Horn Run, a tributary to French Creek.
French Creek Valley Conservancy is thrilled with the donation as it protects the same headwaters as our nearby Lew’s Land property. Brace is less than one mile, as the crow flies, from Lou’s Land which establishes habitat and travel corridor connectedness especially important for the 12 species of birds of concern which have been known to occur on the property, as well as turkey, deer and other wildlife.
The Robert Brace Nature Reserve is open to the public and is limited to passive, leave no trace activities such as hiking, or wildlife and bird watching. This property has also been entered into the cooperative PA Game Commission’s Hunter Access Program. Public access to the parcel will be from the southern end of the property along Kennedy Hill Road.
