The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources published notice in the January 19 PA Bulletin it intends to purchase the 987-acre Strawbridge Property to expand its White Clay Creek Preserve in Elk, Franklin and New London townships in Chester County.

The Property includes more than 7 miles of Big Elk Creek and its tributaries, important forested riparian buffers along them, over 353 acres of mature and young woodlands, over 145 acres of floodplain, 668 acres of prime farmland soils and soils of Statewide importance, and moderate and steep slopes.

It also contains habitat for various threatened and endangered plant and animal species and represents a critical resource in a rapidly developing area of southeastern Pennsylvania.  Portions of the property are currently being farmed.

DCNR intends to use the property to provide passive recreation such as hiking, hunting and wildlife watching.  No recreational facilities are proposed to be developed at this time.

Another purpose of this purchase is to resolve several instances where land purchased with federal Land and Water Conservation Fund monies were converted to other uses.

The property will be purchased from the Conservation Fund.

DCNR is accepting comments on this transaction through March 5.

Click Here for a environmental assessment of the property. Questions and comments should be directed to Thomas Ford, Director, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, by sending email to: RA-NRBRC_CONVERSIONS@pa.gov or call 717-787-6674.

For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog,  Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

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[Posted: Jan. 18, 2019]

1/21/2019