Ever since the Richland Township Land Preservation Board made a wish list 15 years ago of the properties it would like to see preserved, two properties remained at the top of the list: the Herrmann property and Bonk Farm. Heritage Conservancy preserved the Herrmann Property in late 2018, and is happy to announce the Bonk Farm is now also protected in perpetuity. The 114-acre read more
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January
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January
Lancaster Farmland Trust Welcomes Two New Staff Members
Lancaster Farmland Trust recently announced that two new staff members have joined its team: land protection specialist Katie Yoder and land protection assistant Jordan Clymer. Yoder is a graduate of Penn State with a degree in animal science. After graduation she worked for Farm Credit, then, most recently for a small appraisal firm in Lancaster County. She grew up on a read more
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January
New Report: State Parks and Forests Face $500 Million Maintenance Backlog
On January 28, the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation unveiled a new report on the maintenance needs of state park and forest infrastructure titled The Legacy of Pennsylvania Parks and Forests: The Future is in Our Hands. The event took place in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg and featured a slate of speakers who highlighted the need for increased funding for park and read more
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January
Natural Lands Protects 137 Acres of Historic Ker-Feal Property
Natural Lands, the region's oldest and largest land conservation organization, has acquired a conservation easement on 137 acres of the historic Ker-Feal property. Located in West Pikeland, Chester County, Ker-Feal was built in 1775 and purchased by Dr. Albert C. Barnes, founder of the Barnes Foundation, and his wife Laura in 1940 for use as a country getaway. Natural Lands read more
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January
Bill Reintroduced to Designate Eastern Hellbender Official State Amphibian
On January 23, Sen. Gene Yaw (R–Lycoming) reintroduced legislation—Senate Bill 9—to designate the eastern hellbender the state’s official amphibian and clean water ambassador. Sen. Yaw serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is one of Pennsylvania’s six representatives on the interstate Chesapeake Bay Commission. The bill read more
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January
New Future for Old Tennis Court Farm
In January, Natural Lands transferred ownership of Old Tennis Court Farm, a community garden in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, to Neighborhood Gardens Trust. Though less than an acre, it includes more than 40 garden plots. Members care for their own plots and share in the upkeep of the garden as a whole, including a set of community benefit plots the harvest from which read more
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January
DCNR to Acquire 987-Acre Parcel to Expand White Clay Creek Preserve
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) published notice on January 19 that it intends to purchase the 987-acre Strawbridge Property to expand its White Clay Creek Preserve in Chester County. The property includes more than seven miles of Big Elk Creek and its tributaries; important forested riparian buffers; over 353 acres of mature and young woodlands; read more
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January
Clarion River Voted 2019 River of the Year
A designated Wild and Scenic River that draws legions of anglers, paddlers, and other outdoors enthusiasts throughout the seasons, the Clarion River in northwestern Pennsylvania has been voted the state’s 2019 River of the Year. The public was invited to vote online, choosing from among four waterways nominated across the state. Results were announced jointly on January 17 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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January
Brandywine Conservancy Receives Grant to Acquire 569-Acre Natural Area
The Brandywine Conservancy has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to be used towards the acquisition of a 569-acre natural area along the Octoraro Creek in Lower Oxford and West Nottingham Townships, Chester County. This area is a portion of the 952-acre Glenroy Farm property that spans Chester and read more
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January
WPC Protects Farm as Part of Farmland Access Initiative
On January 3, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) announced the acquisition of farmland in Findley Township, Mercer County that will soon be available for lease to local farmers to grow crops or raise livestock as part of the Conservancy’s program to help support the local food economy by making land more accessible to local farmers. The demand for locally grown food, read more
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January
Conservation Partnership Preserves 77 Acres Along Blue Mountain
More than 77 acres of vital acreage for migratory birds in northern Berks County is now permanently protected from development, thanks to a partnership between Berks Nature, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, The Conservation Fund, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Berks Nature helped to secure the grant funds from The Conservation Fund, which allowed Hawk Mountain Sanctuary to read more
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January
WPC Protects 281-Acre Addition to Laurel Ridge State Park
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy recently protected nearly 300 acres in Somerset and Fayette counties near the summit of Laurel Ridge and many popular Laurel Highlands outdoor recreational destinations. The land will be transferred to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of State Parks as an addition to Laurel Ridge State Park next year. This read more
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January
PHLT Welcomes New Stewardship Manager
Matt Schultz will be joining Pocono Heritage Land Trust as its new stewardship manager. Schultz grew up in southwestern Pennsylvania. After graduating college, he worked as a wildlife biologist throughout the Midwest, a land steward in Michigan, and a restoration ecologist in Oregon. Returning to the Keystone State, he is excited to explore, document, and protect the read more
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December
Bryn Coed Preserve Now Open to Public
Just a year-and-a-half ago, Natural Lands purchased a 1,505-acre property in northern Chester Springs known as Bryn Coed Farms, one of the largest remaining unprotected swaths of land in the region. Now, the Bryn Coed Preserve is open to the public. Partners at the state, county, and municipal levels, as well as the William Penn Foundation, provided financial support for the read more
