Western PA Conservancy Protects 163 Acres Of Forestland, Streams In Westmoreland County

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy recently announced the purchase of conservation easements to permanently protect and limit development on two forested properties, totaling 163 acres, within the Ligonier Valley of Westmoreland County.

One of the easements is on approximately 33 acres in Cook Township and now a new addition to an existing 289-acre property the Conservancy protected in 2022 along headwater streams within the Fourmile Run watershed. 

The property is located within the Campbelle Run Natural Heritage Area, which is an area of high biodiversity and hosts important native habitats that support species of special concern.

The other easement protects a 130-acre woodland property in Unity Township that provides a forested buffer along an unnamed tributary to Ninemile Run.

Both properties further enhance forest connectivity, safeguard water quality and shield wildlife habitat, and are surrounded by other large tracts of forestland along Chestnut Ridge. 

The streams the properties protect are located within the larger watershed of Loyalhanna Creek, a 50-mile-long wild trout stream and tributary to the Kiski River.

“This project is a continuation of efforts by the Conservancy to further protect priority riparian lands, streams and wildlife habitat corridors within the Laurel Highlands,” says Conservancy President and CEO Tom Saunders. “These conservation easements ensure that this land in private ownership will remain natural and forested for generations to come.”

Conservation of these properties was made possible, thanks to grants from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, Hillman Foundation, Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation and Babcock Charitable Trust.

To date, the Conservancy has permanently protected nearly 27,000 acres of land in the Ligonier Valley, of which more than 10,000 are through conservation easements.

Conservation easements are permanent deed restrictions available to conservation-minded landowners who want to limit future development on land so that it remains natural. 

For more information about easements or other conservation options, please contact the Conservancy at 724-238-2492 or laurelhighlands@paconserve.org. 

More information is available on programs, initiatives and special events at the Western PA Conservancy website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Conservancy, Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, join them on Instagram, visit the Conservancy’s YouTube Channel or add them to your network on Linkedin.  Click Here to support their work.

The Conservancy has helped to establish 11 state parks, conserved more than 250,000 acres of natural lands and protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, maintains 132 community gardens and other green spaces that are planted with the help of more than 11,000 volunteers and the support of more than 9,000 members.

(Reprinted from the WeConservePA website.)

Related Articles:

-- Registration Open!  WeConservePA PA Land Conservation Conference April 3-5 In Bethlehem  [PaEN]

-- Tinicum Conservancy Protects 86 Acres In Little Tinicum Creek Watershed Bucks County  [PaEN]

-- Western PA Conservancy Protects 163 Acres Of Forestland, Streams In Westmoreland County  [PaEN]

-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy Accepting College Scholarship Applications  [PaEN]

-- WeConservePA Hosts Jan. 30 Webinar On Building Reliable Support For Land Preservation [PaEN] 

[Posted: January 4, 2024]  PA Environment Digest