Highlands Conservation Act projects in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Highlands Region encompasses Appalachian hills and valleys extending from the Allentown area in the northeast down to Harrisburg and the Susquehanna River in the southeast. The Highlands Conservation Act Program (HCA) has funded the conservation of 28 properties, totaling more than 2,000 acres, in the Pennsylvania Highlands. These land acquisition projects are conserving important wildlife habitat, creating new outdoor recreational areas, and protecting drinking water supplies. The successes of the HCA are the result of the hard work of state and local partners, supported by a 50% funding match from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Two different state agencies in Pennsylvania are currently taking advantage of HCA funds: The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Bureau of State Parks and Bureau of Forestry) and the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The flexibility of the HCA grant program allows the agencies to implement their specific land acquisition goals.
Key players in the Pennsylvania Highlands Region
Pennsylvania Bureau of Recreation and Conservation
The Bureau of Recreation and Conservation manages many state and federal conservation grants and is the point of contact for the HCA program in Pennsylvania. The Bureau coordinates with other state agencies and submits HCA grant applications to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, then manages projects that receive grant awards. For more information contact Dan Pierce at danipierce@pa.gov.
The Bureau of State Parks owns land and facilities to create environmental education and outdoor recreation opportunities for the public. The HCA is providing funding to implement plans to expand the size of parkland to meet growing public demand for outdoor recreation opportunities.
The Bureau of Forestry provides assistance to landowners, municipalities, counties, and the timber industry to ensure wise stewardship and use of forest resources like timber, minerals, and water. The bureau is using HCA funds to conserve forests that are closer to population centers so that more people have access to the outdoors and have opportunities to learn about the importance of healthy forests for Pennsylvania’s future.
The Game Commission owns and manages lands to provide hunting and trapping opportunities for the public, as well as to protect at-risk species. The HCA is helping the Game Commission create conserved corridors of wildlife habitat in areas experiencing increased development pressure. HCA is also providing funding to purchase inholdings in existing State Game Lands that if developed would negatively impact the surrounding conservation land.
Natural Lands
Natural Lands is a regional land trust that plays a critical role in land conservation in the Highlands Region by helping state agencies meet their conservation goals. Natural Lands often identifies landowners interested in protecting their land, acquires the parcel from the landowner, and then transfers the land to the Bureau of State Parks, the Game Commission, or the Bureau of Forestry.
Heritage Conservancy
Heritage Conservancy is a regional land trust that plays a critical role in land conservation in the Highlands Region by helping state agencies meet their conservation goals. Heritage Conservancy often identifies landowners interested in protecting their land, acquires the parcel from the landowner, and then transfers the land to the Bureau of State Parks, the Game Commission, or the Bureau of Forestry.
French Creek State Park offers a gently sloping, ADA approved trail, creating accessible areas that more people can enjoy.
Agency: Bureau of State Parks
Land Trust Partner: Natural Lands
Agency Goal: To meet a growing public demand for outdoor spaces to recreate and enjoy nature, State Parks is working to expand the footprint of key state parks in the Highlands Region.
Role of the Highlands Conservation Act program: Recently, State Parks partnered with Natural Lands to acquire 15 acres of scenic forestland with HCA funds to create a new area for the public to access French Creek State Park and prevent fragmentation of the forest by development.
Public Recreation Opportunities: Hunting, hiking, trapping, bird watching, picnicking, sledding, and snowshoeing.
The acquisitions were possible due to the collaboration between State Parks and Natural Lands.
Pennsylvania Game Lands wildlife corridor wildlife corridor To maintain healthy species populations and ecosystems, fish and wildlife need the freedom to move and migrate. As habitats and migration routes are affected by climate change and fragmented by roads, fences, energy development and other man-made barriers, wildlife struggle to reach necessary areas to feed, breed and find shelter. A wildlife corridor is a piece of undeveloped land connecting two habitats so wildlife can move safely between them.
Agency Goal: Expand and connect existing State Game Lands to provide additional areas for hunting, trapping and other forms of public recreation, and create unfragmented corridors of conservation land for wildlife.
Role of the Highlands Conservation Act program: The Game Commission used HCA funds to acquire a 397-acre forested parcel that linked State Game Lands No. 156 with State Game Lands No. 46. This created a nearly 10,000-acre corridor of protected forestland flanked on either side by agricultural lands and development. The project also protected three first-order tributaries that lead into a primary drinking water source for Lancaster, PA. An important segment of the Horse-Shoe Trail, a 140-mile multi-use trail that eventually connects with the Appalachian Trail and other Pennsylvania State Parks, was also preserved.
Public Recreation Opportunities: Hunting, hiking, trapping, biking, bird watching, and snowshoeing.
The acquisition was possible due to the collaboration between the Game Commission and Natural Lands.
Gray catbirds are one of the more common bird species in Pennsylvania, but conserving their habitat is important because a large percentage of the population uses areas throughout the state to breed.
Land Trust Partner: Natural Lands
Agency Goal: Buffer existing Bureau of Forestry lands from the impacts of development, invasive species invasive species An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Role of the Highlands Conservation Act program: The Bureau of Forestry acquired three parcels totaling 152 acres abutting the George Wertz tract of the William Penn State Forest. If developed, these parcels would have significantly impacted the health of the state forest. Protecting these lands added to a network of wooded, undeveloped land in a part of Pennsylvania that has few large, protected areas. The newly acquired lands also significantly contribute to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s “high-quality, cold-water fishery” designation of Furnace Creek and ensuring clean drinking water for thousands of households.
Public Recreation Opportunities: Hunting, trapping, walking/hiking, camping, swimming, fishing, cross-country skiing, bird watching, picnicking, sledding, and snowshoeing.
The acquisitions were possible due to the collaboration between the Bureau of Forestry and Natural Lands.
Creating new state forests to reach new people
Agency: Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
Land Trust Partner: Natural Lands
Agency Goal: Build public awareness about the importance of healthy forests for Pennsylvania's future and improve public access to the outdoors.
Role of the Highlands Conservation Act program: The Bureau of Forestry used HCA funds to help acquire four parcels totaling 374 acres at the Gibraltar Hill tract of the William Penn State Forest. The project provides access to the Schuylkill River Trail, connecting the public to many local and state parks and urban areas from Schuylkill County to Philadelphia. Additionally, the Bureau of Forestry created a bilingual storybook trail about Smokey Bear on the property.
Public Recreation Opportunities: Hunting, hiking, trapping, biking, swimming, fishing, camping, cross- country skiing, bird watching, picnicking, sledding, and snowshoeing.
These acquisitions were possible due to the collaboration between the Bureau of Forestry and Natural Lands.
Conserving a key inholding at the summit of Haycock Mountain
Agency: Pennsylvania Game Commission
Land Trust Partner: Natural Lands
Agency Goal: Conserve remaining inholdings in Pennsylvania Game Commission land to prevent potential development from impacting surrounding conservation land.
Role of the Highlands Conservation Act program: The Game Commission used HCA funds to acquire an important 14.8-acre parcel of high-quality, upland forest. The property was an inholding in the 2,011-acre State Game Lands No. 157. The acquisition conserved the summit of scenic Haycock Mountain, which rises above Nockamixon State Park and overlooks Nockamixon Lake.
Public Recreation Opportunities: Hunting, hiking, trapping, biking, bird watching, and snowshoeing.
This acquisition was possible due to the collaboration between the Game Commission and Natural Lands.
A view across the water from Nockamixon State Park shows the top of Haycock Mountain, an area that was conserved with the assistance of Highlands Conservation Act grant funds.
