Last week, the Lancaster County Conservancy acquired 104 acres of woodland in Hellam Township (York County) from Robert Kinsley. Funded by a unique public–private partnership, this property adds to the Conservancy's Hellam Hills Nature Preserve of protected forests and riparian buffers along the Susquehanna River. The Conservancy began working on protecting these beautiful read more
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July
20
June
Central Pennsylvania Conservancy Purchases 79-Acre Property on Kittatiny Ridge
On June 20, the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy (CPC) announced the purchase of a 79.4-acre mountain property between two previously disjointed tracts of State Game Lands 230 in Cumberland County. The property covers the ridgeline at Cranes Gap on the Kittatiny Ridge and is bisected by a historic segment of Cranes Gap Road, which CPC has opened as a trail. CPC will hold the read more
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June
Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Protects 205 Acres in Laurel Highlands
This week the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy announced the protection of two properties totaling 205 acres in Dunbar Township, Fayette County that conserve forested ridges and headwater streams and expand both State Game Lands 51 and Ohiopyle State Park. A 72-acre forested property with extensive stream frontage on Bruner Run, a headwater stream to the Youghiogheny River, read more
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April
Natural Lands, Delaware Highlands Conservancy, and Conservation Fund Preserve Former Scout Camp
A 1,054-acre former Girl Scout camp near Dingmans Ferry has become part of the National Park Service’s Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, permanently protecting it from development. In 2012, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) made the difficult decision to close Camp Hidden Falls in an effort to consolidate camp operations across the region and improve read more
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January
Countryside Conservancy Acquires 82-Acre Preserve
Countryside Conservancy recently announced the acquisition of its single largest property to date: the Gardner Spencer Preserve. After years of discussions, negotiations, grant-writing, and fundraising, the Conservancy was finally able to purchase the 82-acre property in December. Grant funding from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources helped with the read more
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December
WPC Preserves Bat Habitat and Public Fishing Access Along Spruce Creek
Today, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy announced the protection of 13 acres in Franklin Township, Huntington County, which includes a limestone cave system to be used for bat conservation and more than 1,200 feet of public fishing access to the renowned Spruce Creek. The property will be conveyed to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission once work to replace an read more
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December
Wildlands Conservancy Protects 72 Acres in the Poconos
In December, Wildlands Conservancy permanently protected 72 acres of woodlands and wetlands situated in Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County. The acquired acreage expands Wildlands Conservancy's 1,300-acre Thomas Darling Preserve at Two Mile Run along Route 940 in Blakeslee. This acquisition permanently preserves the forests and streams that are critical to the sustained health read more
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December
Foundation for Sustainable Forests Receives Grant to Protect 292 Acres
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has awarded the Foundation for Sustainable Forests $725,000 to protect open space in Warren County as part of the Community Conservation Partnerships Program, also referred to as C2P2. The grant will support the purchase and protection of 292 acres of forested land in the Caldwell Creek watershed in read more
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December
WPC Protects Whites Creek Natural Area
On November 30, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy announced the protection of an 84-acre natural area in Addison Township, Somerset County. The area, situated along Whites Creek, is now open to the public for hiking, fishing, and nature-watching. The Whites Creek Valley Natural Area was donated to the Conservancy by Paul McMillan, Jr., a retired botanist. It was important read more
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July
Natural Lands Preserves Former Girl Scout Camp
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Cohansey River Wildlife Management Area just increased in size with the addition of a 417-acre property formerly known as the Sheppard’s Mill Girl Scout Camp. Located in Hopewell and Greenwich Townships, Cumberland County, the parcel was purchased for $1,263,000. The entire property is now open to the public for hiking, read more
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July
Heritage Conservancy Acquires 40-Acre Nature Preserve
With assistance from Springfield Township and the Bucks County's Natural Areas Program, Heritage Conservancy acquired 40 acres of woodlands in Springfield Township, Bucks County. The acquisition of the Jerry Pursell Nature Preserve, which is located along Slifer Valley Road, not only protects critical ecological resources in the Cooks Creek watershed, but creates a 100-acre read more
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July
WPC Secures Addition to Laurel Ridge State Park
On June 30, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy purchased a 30-acre property located in the headwaters of Laurel Hill Creek in Jefferson Township, Somerset County, that become a new addition to Laurel Ridge State Park. This property, which is adjacent to the park, provides significant water quality protection and features 2,500 feet of frontage on Shaffer Run, a major read more
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February
Nature Conservancy Acquires Kittatinny Ridge Property
On February 15, the Nature Conservancy announced the acquisition of a 353-acre parcel near Marysville in Perry County, located just minutes from the state capital in Harrisburg. This property will become the Conservancy's first nature preserve in central Pennsylvania along the Kittatinny Ridge. The Conservancy acquired the property with a grant from the Pennsylvania read more
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January
Success in Scotia Barrens
On January 6, ClearWater Conservancy finalized the purchase of 18.7 acres in Half Moon Township from the Paul B. Smith Family Trust, expanding the protected area of the Scotia Barrens. Conserving land in the Barrens has been a high priority for ClearWater since 2005, due to the rare habitat the land provides for wildlife and the source water protection it offers. read more
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January
Allegheny Land Trust Protects Three Properties at Year’s End
On December 29, Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) closed on three properties, totaling 123 acres in Bell Acres and Franklin Park Boroughs. Two property acquisitions were made possible by fundraising campaigns orchestrated by ALT. The other acquisition was the result of a partnership between ALT and the Little Sewickley Creek Watershed Association (LSCWA), which donated the land to read more
