Cook Township, Pa. – March 9 – The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) announced the protection of 115 acres in the Ligonier Valley in Westmoreland County. The property is now available for sale, subject to a conservation easement.
This acquisition adds to the more than 26,000 acres of land in the Ligonier Valley already permanently protected by WPC since the 1970s.
“The Ligonier Valley is a special place, and this acquisition will help permanently protect its agricultural heritage, water quality, forests and open space,” said Thomas Saunders, WPC’s president and chief executive officer. “The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has been able to conserve important areas of the Ligonier Valley thanks to collaboration with the region’s landowners, who recognize that they live in a special place and want to be a part of its long-term protection.”
The property, which has a house, log cabin and a barn, includes wildlife habitat, a mix of forest and farmland, and 2,500 feet of frontage along Loyalhanna Creek’s main stem. It is also in close proximity to more than 3,000 acres of land in the upper Loyalhanna Creek watershed protected through WPC conservation easements. The watershed, which drains the heavily forested slopes of Chestnut and Laurel ridges, contains several high quality streams that support a rich diversity of aquatic life.
A conservation easement is a recorded agreement with a landowner that keeps property in private hands while permanently restricting future uses. Each agreement is unique and is written to protect the conservation values of the land. It allows the landowner to continue to own and use the land, and/or sell or pass it on to heirs. Future owners also will be bound by the agreement’s terms.
The Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Department of Environmental Protection Growing Greener funds and the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation provided financial support for this acquisition. Individuals interested in learning more about the sale of this property should visit the Conservancy’s website or call WPC’s Laurel Highlands Regional Office at 724-238-2492.
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Photos have been made available courtesy of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy: http://bit.ly/1YmiJmo and http://bit.ly/1StOEkk
Photo for web use: http://bit.ly/1paC0eV
About the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy:
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) enhances the region’s quality of life by protecting and restoring exceptional places. A private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped to establish ten state parks, conserved more than a quarter million acres of natural lands and protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams. The Conservancy owns and operates Fallingwater, which symbolizes people living in harmony with nature. In addition, WPC enriches our region’s cities and towns through 130 community gardens and other green spaces that are planted with the help of about 12,000 volunteers. The work of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is accomplished through the support of more than 10,000 members. For more information, visit WaterLandLife.org.
Media contact:
Carmen Bray
Communications Director
412-586-2358
cbray@paconserve.org