The Lebanon Valley Conservancy  recently preserved two farms along Fort Swatara Road in Union Township, near Swatara State Park, Fort Indiantown Gap, and within the Kittatinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape.

The land in and around the Kittatinny Ridge is a strategic area of focus for TLVC, serving as a crucial corridor for songbird migration and vital habitat for rare wildlife.

Mark and Stephanie Brehm’s 78-acre farm has been in Stephanie’s family since the 1960s and has been actively farmed by third and fourth generations.

The property features two streams, a large pond, and both crop and livestock operations.

The second preserved farm, owned by Mildred “Millie” Yezdimir, was established by her family in the 1930s and remains a working farm with open fields, a small stream, and significant historical and personal value.

At 101 years old, Millie celebrated the conservation of her family’s 42-acre farm as a meaningful milestone.

These two easements were funded through a partnership with the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation and the Pennsylvania National Guard’s Fort Indiantown Gap Army Compatible Use Buffer Program.

The ACUB program supports military readiness while preserving agricultural, recreational, and natural habitats.

Two other farms in this area, conserved by TLVC in 2019, bring the total protected acreage along Fort Swatara Road to almost 300 acres.

View preserved properties.

To date, Lebanon Valley Conservancy has preserved more than 1,200 acres in the Lebanon Valley.

(Reprinted from the WeConservePa website.)

Related Articles:

-- WeConservePA: Buck Hill Conservation Foundation Protects 687.5 Acres With Metzgars Conservation Easement In Monroe County  [PaEN]

-- ClearWater Conservancy Preserves 100 Acres Of Beaver Branch Property To Enhance Conservation Efforts In Centre County  [PaEN]

-- Western PA Conservancy Protects 97 Acres To Expand Popular Outdoor Recreation Areas In Fayette County  [PaEN]

-- WeConservePA: Lebanon Valley Conservancy Partnered With Brehm Family To Safeguard 78 Acre Farm In Union Twp., Lebanon County  [PaEN]

-- WeConservePA: Heritage Conservancy Preserves 60 Acres Of Land In Bucks County  [PaEN] 

-- Lancaster Conservancy Partners With Graham Family To Protect 56 Acres In York County  [PaEN]

-- French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust Partnered With Alleva Family To Preserve 20 Acres In Chester County  [PaEN]

[Posted: February 20, 2025]

2/24/2025