2003 Accomplishments - Conserving the natural and cultural heritage
of western Pennsylvania

• Conserved 1,983 acres of land including:
  • 1,732 acres in Elk and Jefferson Counties—many along the scenic Clarion River—by making them part of State Game Lands.
  • A 227-acre tract surrounded by Blue Knob State Park in Bedford County with wild trout streams running through the property.
  • 23 acres in Greene Township, Erie County for protection of the Lake Pleasant watershed, one of the most significant wetland areas in northwestern PA.
• Watershed Assistance Center staff implemented streambank fencing and riparian habitat improvement projects on 22 western Pennsylvania farms, improving 14 miles of streambank and 15 acres of critical wetland habitat.
• Applied for a Forestry Legacy Area designation for Bedford and Fulton Counties, which would allow access to significant federal funding for land and forest conservation in the designated area encompassing 400,000 acres of privately owned forest.
• Renovated the historic barn at Fallingwater, ® using green building practices, as a center for regional interpretation, conferences, education programs, exhibitions and additional office space for WPC operations.
• Completed the Lake Pleasant Watershed Assessment and Protection Report and the comprehensive French Creek Watershed Assessment, which will further conservation of these biologically significant watersheds.
• Completed the Lawrence and Mercer County Natural Heritage Inventory studies, updated Centre and Clinton County inventories, and are in the process of completing inventories for Huntingdon and Clearfield Counties. These studies will help private landowners and communities map their important biological resources and protect them through responsible planning.
• Initiated a two-year study of the eastern Massasauga rattlesnake, a candidate for the federal Endangered Species List, to understand the massive decline of the snake's habitat and recommend conservation measures for private landowners.
• Developed a freshwater mussel education program and initiated the most complete freshwater mussel survey to date on the French Creek watershed. Mapping locations and recording population sizes for the two dozen mussel species will help stakeholders monitor the health of the watershed.
• Completed the Lake Pleasant Master Site Plan, which provides a vision for WPC's Northwest Field Station and protection, recreational enhancement, and environmental education on Lake Pleasant properties.
• Undertook restoration projects to preserve Fallingwater, including strengthening and waterproofing Edgar Kaufmann, Sr.'s terrace, developing an exterior paint system program, and waterproofing terraces and flat roofs.
• At Fallingwater, installed an environmentally responsible sewage treatment system which results in no discharge to the state designated “exceptional value” Bear Run stream and which provides for recycling of waste for appropriate onsite uses.
• Began implementing the Fallingwater master landscape plan that will minimize human impacts on the property's natural areas.

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• Worked with more than 4,000 volunteers to plant and maintain hundreds of attractive, vibrant public gardens and landscape projects.
• Advanced conservation volunteer leadership in western PA by the creation of the Jarvis B. Cecil Conservation Volunteer Leader Award. Dr. Peter Dalby of Clarion County was named the first recipient.
• Brought the appreciation of western Pennsylvania's natural treasures into homes, offices and classrooms via WPC's web site www.paconserve.org. Highlights include WPC Dailye-news and a virtual tour of gardens and beautification projects.
• Encouraged school children to begin to think and care about conserving their region's natural resources by producing the City of Pittsburgh School District's first-ever Conservation Essay Contest for fifth grade students.
• WPC's corps of volunteers worked to help to preserve and interpret Fallingwater ® and its setting, monitor WPC-protected lands for violations such as illegal dumping, boundary encroachment and all-terrain vehicle abuse.
• Presented Wild in the Woods at Bear Run Nature Reserve, connecting hundreds of families–including nearly 200 children–to nature through wildlife and environmental education, hikes, nature games and more.
• Expanded Fallingwater education programs to include: a summer residency program for college architecture students, focusing on sustainable design; and a new one-day Elderhostel program on Fallingwater as a symbol of design in harmony with the natural world.

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• Partnered with community groups and volunteers in 170 neighborhoods in 19 counties in western Pennsylvania to establish and maintain community gardens and greenspace projects.
• Provided technical assistance to over 100 grassroots conservation organizations across western Pennsylvania spanning 30 counties.
• Collaborated with Alcoa Inc, and Alcoa Foundation to publish The Trees of Pittsburghbook, distributed to 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classrooms in Pittsburgh. An accompanying course, teacher's guide and CD-ROM will aid teachers in using this new resource.
• Advanced Fallingwater's ® restoration as a model for the nexus of preservation, design, and environmental conservation to regional chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the Construction Specifications Institute.
• Established five community floral projects in the East Liberty area of Pittsburgh at the entrances to the business district.
• Completed Greater Sideling Hill Creek Watershed Economic and Environmental Assessment —a comprehensive look at the region's agricultural and forestry and future needs to maintain and implement sustainable practices in the watershed.
• Implemented WPC's second Pennsylvania teacher's course on Fallingwater. The popular multidisciplinary course helps teachers use Fallingwater as an educational resource, both on site and in the classroom. The course includes a teacher's guide and CD-ROM.
• Collaborated with the Slippery Rock Development Committee to support their Downtown Revitalization Project.

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• Applied for a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) for the Ohio River Basin, which will provide up to $100 million in federal funding in the form of voluntary landowner incentives to conserve wildlife habitat. The project targets 65,000 acres of land for enrollment.
• Engaged WPC volunteer advocates in legislative efforts including: supporting federal tax incentives for conservation donations; supporting the reauthorization and allocation for enhancement projects of Federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Act of 1991 (ISTEA); and supporting the reauthorization of the Abandoned Mine Fund.
• Hosted a policy retreat with several state and local conservation organizations to develop a strategy for conserving Pennsylvania's farms, forests, waterways and wildlife habitat.
• Worked with a coalition of conservation organizations in the creation of the state Water Resources Planning Act. The act provides for the completion of a State Water Plan to be developed during a five-year process to review water-use data, take public comment, identify where existing and potential water-use conflicts and water quality issues exist.
• Completed “Upstream, Downstream: Preserving our way of Life” video, which highlights the activities of citizens in the greater Sideling Hill Creek Watershed region who are working toward a sustainable future.

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• Received the 2003 Pittsburgh American Business Ethics Award, Non-profit Category. The award is presented annually by the Society of Financial Service Professionals and recognizes area businesses that have exemplified and promoted ethical conduct for the benefit of the workplace, the marketplace, the environment, and the community.
• Maintained an excellent program-costs-to-operating-expense ratio. 83 cents of every dollar spent by WPC was spent on our programs. This figure exceeds the national average for non-profit organizations.

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