The Allegheny Front, the award-winning public radio program dedicated to environmental news in Western Pennsylvania, is featuring a 6-week series on Land Conservation in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania is developing land at a fast pace. That means wild areas and rare habitats are disappearing. In the six-week series, The Allegheny Front examines conservation efforts in Pennsylvania to save wildlife habitats and manage land to keep it wild. Stories feature people across Pennsylvania who are saving their farms and urban spaces from development and keeping green areas in new housing sites. Interviews with experts on land conservation put it all into perspective.

The series will air on The Allegheny Front on public radio stations throughout Western Pennsylvania from January 9 through February 18, 2007. Stories will be archived at www.alleghenyfront.org.

• Pittsburgh: WYEP 91.3 FM on Wednesday at 7:00 pm, Saturday at 6:30 am.
• Jamestown, NY: WRFA 107.9-FM - Friday 10:00 am
• Indiana, PA: WIUP 90.1-FM – Monday 7:30 am
• State College and 7 affliliates: WPSU-FM – Sunday 7:00 am and 9:30 pm

January 9:
The Eastern Massasaugua rattlesnake is literally losing ground here in Pennsylvania. Only a few areas remain with the necessary habitats for these endangered rattlesnakes to survive. The Allegheny Front looks at how groups are working to save land to save the snakes, and examine what Pennsylvania is doing to keep other species from a similar fate.

January 16:
Almost a third of all private land protected from development in Pennsylvania is the result of the efforts of small land trusts. These groups may not have the budgets to buy large tracks of land, but they have intimate knowledge of local landowners and communities. The Allegheny Front profiles at one small land trust, the Clear Water Conservancy, that successfully conserves land in Centre County.

January 23:
According to many land trusts, buying land is the easy part of conservation. Managing land over time can be an expensive, science-based job. The Allegheny Front features at a controlled burn, one of the most intensive land management practices. It’s hoped that the fire will revive a rare pine barren in the Pocono Mountains. Other management practices are examined like monitoring land and maintaining easements that keep conservancies busy.

January 30:
Undeveloped greenspace is at a premium in urban areas. Real estate prices and pressures for an expanded tax base lead to dwindling natural areas. Hayes Woods is one area that has remained undeveloped in Pittsburgh. Plans to build a racetrack on the property have mobilized activists to save this tract of land, the biggest greenspace in the city. The Allegheny Front looks at how urban land is preserved and what it means to the community.

February 6:
Pennsylvania has one of the most successful farmland preservation programs in the nation and is spending more money than ever to acquire development rights from farmers. This still isn’t enough to fill the demand from farmers across the state. The Allegheny Front talks with farmers to find out why they want to keep their farms intact for future generations.

February 13:
With housing developments gobbling up land all over Pennsylvania, some communities are trying to keep parcels of that land undeveloped. Municipal ordinances require developers to set aside greenspace among the houses. The Allegheny Front explores how it’s done, the challenges to keep it green, and why it benefits the entire community.