The Wildlands Conservancy announced Tuesday a conservation easement on 28 acres of high-value woodland, field and stream habitat in Moore Township, Northampton County.

The property, owned by John and Veronica Kostenbader, is immediately adjacent and to the north of the 41-acre Groff family easement that was secured in 2011 to permanently protect woodland and Bushkill Creek habitat at the foot of the Kittatinny Ridge (Blue Mountain).

“The actions of the Groffs and now the Kostenbaders so much embody the spirit of what we as a land trust aim to accomplish,” says Christopher Kocher, president of Wildlands. “We’re grateful to have both families share in our vision and to expand our land protection focus in within and near Blue Mountain.”

Funding from Moore Township and Northampton County enabled Wildlands to successfully negotiate the acquisition of a conservation easement from the Kostenbader family.

To date, Wildlands holds conservation easements on more than 7,400 acres of natural areas and owns and manages nine nature preserves totaling more than 2,600 acres. Since 1973, the land trust has protected more than 50,000 acres within eastern Pennsylvania.

4/29/2013