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Western PA Conservancy Protects Important Habitat In Erie, Venango Counties
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The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy recently purchased 55 acres in Venango County to permanently protect the habitat of the eastern massasauga rattlesnake and 16 acres of forest, fields and wetlands near Lake Pleasant in Venango Township and Greene Township, Erie County.
Venango County
“This acquisition (in Venango County) supports the Conservancy’s longstanding focus on the eastern massasauga, including more than 25 years of scientific research,” said Jane Menchyk, WPC’s land protection specialist. “The goal in purchasing this property is to protect, restore and maintain some of the last remaining habitat for this species in Pennsylvania before it is lost forever.”
The acquisition and permanent protection of property during the 1950s and 60s that became Jennings Nature Reserve in Butler County was the Conservancy’s first protection of critical habitat for the snake.
Funded by a bequest from Helen Katz, WPC will own, manage and restore the property to reestablish habitat for the eastern massasauga. The property has more than 12 acres of wetlands, and 1,600 feet of stream run through it.
The property has natural habitat that is ideal not only for eastern massasauga but many other wildlife species. It is not uncommon to find white-tailed deer, songbirds, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock and cottontail rabbit in the grass and underbrush of massasauga habitat.
The eastern massasauga is a current candidate for federal listing as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This small, secretive rattlesnake is also identified as a species of greatest conservation need in Pennsylvania’s Wildlife Action Plan, created to conserve wildlife and habitat before they become more rare and costly to protect.
Ryan Miller, WPC’s zoologist, explains how WPC protects this endangered snake through research and tagging in a YouTube video.
A brochure, “A Landowner’s Guide to the Eastern Massasauga in Pennsylvania: Management & Protection,” is available online.
Erie County“Because of its rare biodiversity and uncommon habitats, protecting the Lake Pleasant region (in Erie County) continues to be a priority for the Conservancy,” said Tom Saunders, president and CEO of WPC. “To date, we have protected more than 573 acres of shoreline, wetlands and uplands around the lake.” Protection of this property is important for the conservation of Lake Pleasant because the entire property drains to the lake, including a small tributary on a slope. The property contains a 2.5-acre wetland that is a habitat for plants like willow, winterberry holly, silky dogwood, royal fern, sedges and duckweed.
The property consists of a mixture of forest, fields, a small pond, mowed areas and pasture. The forested portion contains sugar maple, tulip tree, black cherry and white pine.
Lake Pleasant is a 64-acre glacial lake tucked in a valley in the eastern portion of Erie County. Of the eight northwestern Pennsylvania glacial lakes, it is considered the least disturbed by human impact.
A calcareous glacial lake, Lake Pleasant was formed by the melting of a glacier, which resulted in an intricate community of rare native plants and fish species. It is part of the diverse ecosystem of the French Creek watershed.
Protecting the lake also helps ensure the continued high quality of French Creek, which contains the highest level of biodiversity of any river of its size in Pennsylvania and all states to the northeast.
Made possible by a bequest from Helen Katz, this acquisition will help to protect, restore and maintain the Lake Pleasant watershed, which provides an ample supply of water to the lake. The land will be accessible to the public.
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3/5/2012 |
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