Cherry Valley NWR, Pennsylvania
Establishing a national wildlife refuge

Latest News on the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Study

We are pleased to announce that we have acquired the first parcel of land for Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge on October 18, 2010!

In December 2008, the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved the establishment of the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Monroe County, Pennsylvania after a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was issued by the Northeast Regional Director. The FONSI provides the Regional Director's rationale for determining that the new refuge would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the meaning of Section 102 (2) (c) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. Click here to view the FONSI (PDF), and on the links below for more news and information about the Cherry Valley project.

Final EA for establishing the Cherry Valley NWR
Latest news release
Q&A: Approval of Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
Q&A: The Service's Land Acquisition Process.

November 2008 Public Meetings
On October 31, 2008, the Service announced the availability of the Draft Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Feasibility Study and Environmental Assessment for public review and comment. Two public meetings were held during the comment period. There was broad public, agency, and organization support for creating a National Wildlife Refuge in Cherry Valley, and for selection of Alternative B as the agency’s final action. Most of the questions asked and concerns expressed during these meetings were similar to those raised during scoping, and the Final EA reflects our additional review and revision, as necessary, to ensure that all comments were considered and questions answered. Click on the links below to download notes and a summary of the December 2008 meetings.

Meeting Notes - November 19, 2008 at Christ Hamilton Church (160 KB)
Meeting Notes - November 20, 2008 at Stroudsmoor Country Inn (168 KB)
Summary of November 2008 Public Meetings (114 KB)

Study Background
Pennsylvania’s Cherry Valley is rich in natural resources and wildlife diversity. Cherry Creek flows through southern Monroe County in northeastern Pennsylvania, flowing into the Delaware River. For generations, local landowners and conservation organizations safeguarded the valley’s clean waters and important natural communities. Recent rapid residential and commercial growth in Monroe County, however, has outpaced efforts to protect these resources. The county is within a two-hour drive of millions of people.

The community took action several years ago to encourage permanent protection of Cherry Valley as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. As a result, U.S. Representatives Paul Kanjorski (D-11th) and Charles Dent (R-15th) co-sponsored a bill to study the area for potential inclusion in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The 109th U.S. Congress passed the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Study Act (Act) in 2006 (Title VI of H.R. 4957, Public Law No.: 109-363). The Act directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), which administers the National Wildlife Refuge System, to evaluate the biological value of natural communities within the valley to determine if the area merits protection as a national wildlife refuge. Click here for a detailed chronology of the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Study.

While the Act authorizes funding, tight federal budgets have precluded a specific appropriation to support the study. The Service has proceeded by partnering with TNC to establish baseline information as the foundation of the study. The Cherry Valley Study Team includes members from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and federal, state, local, and other partners. The team held its initial meeting in October 2007 and has been meeting regularly since.

Natural Setting
The 30,000-acre valley harbors nationally significant ecosystems and many protected plants and animals, including federal-listed threatened or endangered species. Kittatinny Ridge, following the creek’s path, is a major avenue for migrating birds of prey, songbirds, waterfowl and bats.

Unique habitats of the valley include mid-atlantic calcareous fens, Kittatinny Ridge, pitch pine/scrub oak barrens, kettle hole bogs and caves, and Cherry Creek. Unique species include bog turtle, dwarf wedge mussel, northeastern bulrush, bald eagle, spreading globe flower, and American eel.

Contact Information
For more information or to request a hard copy or a CD, contact

Carl Melberg
Refuge Planner
73 Weir Hill Rd
Sudbury, MA 01776
978-443-4661 x 32
978-443-2898 fax
northeastplanning@fws.gov

Links to Other Websites about Cherry Valley

The Nature Conservancy
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/pennsylvania/preserves/art6438.html

Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski
http://kanjorski.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=79&Itemid

Friends of Cherry Valley
http://www.friendsofcherryvalley.com/