Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis this week presented $214,000 in grants toward the conservation easement acquisition of land in Adams County.

The grants were presented to the Land Conservancy of Adams County for the purchase of the 383-acre Penn Forestry Conservation easement in Franklin Township, Adams County.

"This is exactly what our community conservation partnerships program grants are designed to promote — people working together toward a shared goal," said Secretary DiBerardinis. "Here we have land owners, county and township officials, and a conservancy all united to preserve a tract of land that stands as a keystone in the county's bid to foster open space preservation, watershed protection and passive recreation."

The DCNR secretary was joined by conservancy and local officials at a ceremony on the Penn Forestry tract off Bottom Road in the village of Orrtanna, Franklin Township. The tract is part of a 500-acre parcel earmarked for open space preservation.

"Three generations of owners have worked with the Land Conservancy of Adams County to permanently preserve more than 500 acres in Franklin Township," Secretary DiBerardinis said. "The owners wanted to make sure that the land that has been owned by the Bennett family since 1987 would remain essentially the way it is."

The easement would protect a watershed that extends to the Chesapeake Bay while continuing to afford limited public access to the property for hiking, bird watching and other passive recreation.

"The 400,000-acre-South Mountain region in Adams, Cumberland, Franklin and York counties is truly blessed, but it is a fragile environment that must be protected," said Secretary DiBerardinis. "I commend the land conservancies and county and local officials in the four counties who are demonstrating a coordinated commitment to preserve open land and enrich lifestyles for all residents."

10/19/2007