The Western PA Conservancy recently completed two projects in Eric and Lawrence counties– one involves a land acquisition near an already-protected forest, and the other the acquisition of a donated conservation easement near a popular state park.

An agricultural easement will also protect more than 37 acres of farmland at the headwaters of Tubmill Creek in Westmoreland County.

Elk County

The Conservancy recently acquired about five acres in Jay Township, Elk County. The property, containing a hemlock forest and a tributary of the Sinnemahoning River, is an addition to the Conservancy’s Bennett Branch Forest, which is already a notable conservation area.

The property will be added to land protected by WPC in 2008 in Elk and Clearfield counties – land that has been identified as having exceptional significance by Conservancy scientists and others. WPC transferred most of the property acquired at that time to the Bureau of Forestry and that part became a large addition to Moshannon State Forest.

Lawrence County

Last month, Kathleen Kunz took the final steps toward donating a conservation easement to WPC on the other property. Kunz has owned the 41-acre wooded property in Slippery Rock Township, Lawrence County, with her late husband for more than three decades. She made the choice to permanently conserve the parcel, which is adjacent to McConnells Mill State Park and Slippery Rock Gorge.

A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between the Conservancy and a private landowner that limits future uses of the property in order to protect its conservation value while enabling the land to remain privately owned. Every easement is tailored to the property and to the interests of the landowner.

Kunz also gave a monetary gift, which will ensure the long-term stewardship of the parcel. This stewardship fund helps WPC with the annual costs of monitoring the easement, including visiting the property, writing reports and working with Kunz and future owners to ensure the property’s conservation values and intent of the easement are protected.

Westmoreland County

The Fairfield Township land, which has been continuously farmed by the same family since the early 19th century, falls within the Laurel Highlands, where WPC has protected more than 80,000 acres of land.

An agricultural easement is a voluntary agreement with landowners that keeps property in private hands – in this case, siblings William E. Wilt, Tim H. Wilt and Joan A. Ahlers – while permanently restricting future uses. The owners, who inherited the farmland, wish for it to permanently be an agricultural or natural area, said William Wilt.

The agricultural easement will limit subdivision and the building of additional structures. It also will restrict future commercial activities to farming, forestry or farming-related businesses only, thus conserving prime agricultural soils and protecting a historically and culturally significant Ligonier Valley farm.

Colcom Foundation, the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation and the Richard King Mellon Foundation provided financial support for this project, which closed last month.

1/14/2013