On August 31, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy announced the permanent protection of 109 acres in Columbus Township, Warren County along Brokenstraw Creek, a tributary to the Allegheny River.

The acreage was immediately conveyed to the Game Commission and is now an addition to State Game Land 197.

The property, which is contiguous to a 321-acre portion of State Game Land 197, features meadows, shrubland, wetlands and forested wetlands.

A forested section of the property is located in the Brokenstraw Valley Seepage Flats, a Natural Heritage Area Core Habitat that supports plant species of concern, including highbush-cranberry and red currant.

Because it is contiguous to an existing large area of protected land, protecting this property was ecologically important for many reasons, including for climate change and biodiversity, to support species’ ability to access habitat and or move to more suitable habitat if conditions change.

Located in northwestern Warren County near the New York border, State Game Land 197, consists of 1,555 acres of gently rolling hills and Tamarack Swamp, an excellent example of a kettle bog in the northwestern glaciated portion of Pennsylvania. Primary game species are deer, turkey, squirrel and grouse.

“This is a beautiful property that has so many conservation benefits, including forest connectivity, water quality protection and recreational value,” says Tom Saunders, president and CEO of the Conservancy. “We’re glad to continue our longstanding efforts to add land to the state’s public lands, and this property is a great addition.”

Conservation of this wetland and forest land was made possible thanks to grants from the DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation’s Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, Hillman Foundation, Babcock Charitable Trust, Game Commission, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant program in partnership with Ducks Unlimited.

More information is available on programs, initiatives and special events at the Western PA Conservancy website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Conservancy, Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, join them on Instagram, visit the Conservancy’s YouTube Channel or add them to your network on Linkedin.  Click Here to support their work.

The Conservancy has helped to establish 11 state parks, conserved more than 250,000 acres of natural lands and protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, maintains 132 community gardens and other green spaces that are planted with the help of more than 11,000 volunteers and the support of more than 9,000 members.

Related Articles:

-- Western PA Conservancy Protects 109 Acres Of Forest Land In Warren County As Addition To State Game Land 197  [PaEN]

-- Natural Lands Preserves 53-Acre Farm In Cumberland County To Help Protect The Chesapeake Bay  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Allegheny National Forest’s Tracy Ridge Is A Prime Example Of Wilderness Here In The East - By Kirk Johnson, Friends Of Allegheny Wilderness  [PaEN]

[Posted: September 4, 2023]

9/11/2023