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ClearWater Conservancy Purchases, Protects Wildlife Corridor
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On April 30, after more than four years of complex negotiations, ClearWater Conservancy purchased the first property in the Barrens to Bald Eagle Wildlife Corridor from RT Ventures.
The purchased 39 acres are protected with a conservation easement held by Halfmoon Township and complement an additional 64 acres purchased by a conservation buyer and enrolled in the Halfmoon Township Open Space Preservation Program.
Protection of this 103-acre property is also key to the possible protection of two additional adjacent properties in the future.
This important land acquisition project began in November 2005 when a member informed us of a neighbor who was interested in purchasing a piece of property and protecting it through the Halfmoon Township Open Space Preservation Program. It was being sold by a developer who intended to subdivide the remainder of the farm into 16 housing lots, spanning both sides of Route 550 just east of Stormstown.
That initial conversation led to a series of discussions with the land developer and Halfmoon Township that ultimately resulted in a multi-faceted conservation transaction to protect 103 acres in one of the fastest growing areas of the Centre Region.
Paul Berkobin, managing partner of RT Ventures, remembers meeting Bill Hilshey, ClearWater’s Conservation Easement Manager, and hearing for the first time about ClearWater Conservancy’s vision for a wildlife corridor connection between Scotia Barrens and Bald Eagle Ridge. “I was immediately on board. It was obvious to us that the Wildlife Corridor had important and far-reaching benefits for our local habitats and communities. When we understood what was at stake, we wanted to work to make the corridor a reality.”
Bill learned about the concept of wildlife corridors through some conservation biology and conservation ecology classes at Penn State. His growing interest was a natural fit with his work at ClearWater and “The Scotia Barrens Wildlife Corridor Project” case study became the subject of Bill’s master’s thesis.
From this solid foundation, Bill began to gather together the many partners that would ultimately bring this land conservation project to fruition, including the developer; another conservation landowner; the Halfmoon Township Zoning Officer, Planning Commission, Open Space Preservation Board, and Board of Supervisors; the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and the Centre County Commissioners.
Support was also provided by Pennsylvania Audubon, the Juniata Valley Audubon, the State College Bird Club, the Mammal Technical Committee of the Pennsylvania Biological Survey, the Game Commission, the Centre County Office of Planning and Community Development, and the Centre Regional Planning Agency.
This land acquisition project was such a high priority for ClearWater Conservancy because Scotia Barrens is a rare habitat and one of the largest examples of a pitch pine-scrub oak barrens remaining in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
It has extraordinary value as a home for a wide variety of wildlife, a primary source of our region’s groundwater supply, and a place to teach our children about the natural world. The barrens provide a haven for rare insects, pool-dependent amphibians, and large numbers of neotropical songbirds.
Bald Eagle Mountain is also an important natural resource because of its large, relatively unfragmented forest habitat and rich wildlife populations. The wildlife corridor that now connects these two larger ecosystems will ensure the Scotia Barrens’ continued viability thanks to the vision and efforts of several key individuals: Bill Hilshey, Mac Rayback, Jeff Sturniolo, Pat Morse, Paul Berkobin, Paul Ford, Kathleen Yurchak, Greg Love, Barbara Spencer, Dan Dreibelbis, Bob Eberhart, Rob Brooks, and Halfmoon Township Supervisor Chairs Christine Bracken-Piper, Ben Pisoni, and Mark Stevenson.
Many more people contributed financially to make the Wildlife Corridor a reality. “It is wonderful to witness a community of people stepping up to the challenge of purchasing land that would otherwise be developed,” commented Jennifer Shuey, Executive Director. “It takes vision to look at the farm fields of today and imagine its eventual transformation into a natural bridge for plant and animal species.”
ClearWater’s next step in the process is to develop a management and long-term forest regeneration plan for the Wildlife Corridor.
Paul Berkobin sums up his experience saying, “ClearWater Conservancy always exemplified the highest degree of professionalism. Bill Hilshey in particular worked steadfastly under difficult conditions to put a complex, win-win transaction together. His preparation and professionalism is second to none. We are delighted the Wildlife Corridor has become a reality. In the future many generations will benefit from the work we have done.”
For more information (including an online slideshow), visit the Barrens To Bald Eagle Wildlife Corridor webpage.
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5/10/2010 |
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