In Pennsylvania, the Fund preserves the state's historic areas and threatened landscapes – from Gettysburg National Military Park to the shores of Lake Erie. With a record of more than 74,000 acres protected in Pennsylvania since 1985, the Fund seeks solutions that blend environmental protection and economic development.
The 2,500-acre expanse of forest, streams and open fields known as Tree Farm #1 provides Adams County residents with clean water and places to hike, fish and hunt. Just over an hour’s drive from Washington, D.C., this critical property was once a prime target for development. When the land went up for sale, concerned residents and local organizations needed to quickly raise funds to protect it. We provided bridge financing for the purchase and are now working with the Land Conservancy of Adams County, U.S. Forest Service, Adams County, The Nature Conservancy and other partners to raise full funding. We will then add the property to Michaux State Forest, to be managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for everyone to use and enjoy. The Richard King Mellon Foundation has provided key support for this effort.
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In northeast Pennsylvania, Lackawanna State Forest shelters wildlife and gives communities clean water and colorful places to hike, hunt, fish and paddle. We added over 2,600 acres to the forest, including the spectacular Choke Creek Falls and nearly 10 miles along the Lehigh River, fulfilling a high priority of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Pocono Forest and Waters Conservation Landscape effort. Other partners included Monroe County, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlands Conservancy, Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Thornhurst Township in Lackawanna County.
Panoramic view of Bald Eagle Mountain. Photo: Ruhrfisch/Wikimedia
Bald Eagle Mountain, a forested ridge near State College, is one of the best sites in the eastern United States for viewing the migration of the golden eagle. Protected by the Fund in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation, and the Game Commission, the 2,510-acre area adjoins Bald Eagle State Park and also offers prime habitat for deer, bear, and wild turkey.
On September 11, 1777, American and British troops clashed outside Philadelphia in one of the Revolutionary War's biggest battles. Most of the action took place on roughly 100 acres near the Brandywine River. This critical piece of land, at the heart of what is now the Brandywine Battlefield National Historic Corridor, remained the only unprotected piece of the battlefield until 2007, when we enabled its purchase through a loan to the Brandywine Conservancy.
Boasting beautiful beaches and scenic bluffs, the shores along Pennsylvania’s Lake Erie rank among the most breathtaking, yet threatened, landscapes in the Great Lakes ecosystem. Lead funding from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation enabled the Fund to provide bridge financing to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to acquire the largest remaining tract of undeveloped land on the commonwealth’s Lake Erie shore. In partnership with Reliant Energy, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and the state of Pennsylvania, the Conservancy plans to transfer this 540-acre parcel to the state’s park system for public enjoyment.
In the first project of its kind, Pennsylvania Suburban Water Company—the region’s largest water utility—joined the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the state of Pennsylvania, and The Conservation Fund to set aside a pristine 9,000-acre valley. The land encompasses lakes and streams critical to the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Fund designed a “win-win” solution that enabled the state to acquire the land but allowed the company to retain rights to the property’s associated water infrastructure. In this unique project, Suburban Water continues to provide safe drinking water to its customers while the state adds prime recreation lands to its Loyalsock State Forest.
Rolling grasslands, endless mountains, and water-carved ravines characterize the diverse landscape of Pennsylvania’s gamelands. Working with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Fund acquired more than 1,000 acres of gamelands in Huntingdon County, in the central part of the state, to support diverse wildlife populations and recreation activities.
Six world-class trout streams, outstanding scenic views, productive timberlands, and popular recreation areas are now part of the Sproul State Forest because of the acquisition of an 11,900-acre inholding. With assistance from the Fund, the Richard King Mellon Foundation worked with Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to provide matching monies for this forestland purchase, one of the largest in the state’s history.
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TCF has made 151 loans to 87 local land trusts since 1993. More than 1,500 local and regional land trusts protect open space, historic lands and the quality of life in their communities.
Click here to learn more about our Land Trust Loan Program and the places we've help save.
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Powered by: Phase2 TechnologyThe Conservation Fund National Office
1655 N. Fort Myer Drive, Suite 1300
Arlington, Virginia 22209-2156
Phone: 703-525-6300
Fax: 703-525-4610
Email: postmaster@conservationfund.org
