The Nature Conservancy Protects 76 Acres Along Pennsylvania’s Kittatinny Ridge
New parcel will safeguard biodiversity in a critical Central Appalachian landscape.
Media Contacts
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Trent Knoss
Director of Communications & Marketing
Phone: 612-600-4640
Email: trent.knoss@tnc.org
The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania and Delaware has acquired 75 acres of forestland in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, with financial assistance from the William Penn Foundation through the Open Space Institute, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Stroud Township Open Space Program.
The high-priority parcel within the Kittatinny Ridge Conservation Landscape was transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and has become part of the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
“The Kittatinny Ridge is one of Pennsylvania’s most treasured landscapes and a critical corridor for migratory birds in the Central Appalachians,” said Lori Brennan, Executive Director for The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Quote: Lori Brennan
Protecting this parcel represents another important step in conserving the lands and waters that scientists have deemed essential for future biodiversity.
The Kittatinny Ridge runs through Pennsylvania for 185 miles from the Delaware River to the Mason-Dixon Line and is a prominent feature in the Central Appalachian landscape. It is designated as a Globally Important Bird Area and serves as one of the premier raptor migration corridors in the northeastern U.S. Thousands of hawks, eagles and falcons transit through the region each fall.
TNC is a lead partner in the Kittatinny Ridge Partnership, a coalition of NGOs, county, state and federal partners, local conservation groups, education partners and local recreation clubs and chapters. The coalition exists to combine resources, set collective goals and create a shared vision for a rugged and protected Kittatinny Ridge corridor for both people and nature. TNC’s primary role in the coalition is to protect priority parcels of land along the Ridge through direct acquisition and easements.
“The conservation of this new property will strengthen the connective link with other protected lands within the Kittatinny Ride corridor and the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge,” said Victor Motts, land protection specialist with The Nature Conservancy.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in more than 70 countries and territories, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.