Conserving High Priority Landscapes

Clarion River Conservation
More than 104 acres in Spring Creek Township, Elk County, were acquired and conveyed to the Pennsylvania Game Commission to advance our goals to preserve 41 miles of shoreline along the Clarion River. The Clarion River in northwestern Pennsylvania is one of the wildest, most scenic river corridors in the eastern United States. Since our work in this area began in 1976, approximately 12,000 acres have been preserved and made available to the public from the village of Portland Mills in Elk County downstream to the borough of Clarion.

Sideling Hill Creek Watershed
Two tracts of land, totaling more than 173 acres, in the Sideling Hill Creek watershed area have been incorporated in the conservation goals for this area. More than 71 acres have been included in State Game Land 49. The other property, which was recently acquired, is adjacent to WPC-owned property in this ecologically rich area. The properties feature a forested floodplain and approximately 3,400 feet of stream frontage along both sides of Sideling Hill Creek. This watershed is a high priority area for WPC due to its highly significant stream ecosystem and numerous hot dry Appalachian shale barren communities. In addition to being identified by WPC as a Biodiversity Area, the stream is designated Exceptional Value by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Ligonier Valley Project Area
Since the 1970s WPC has been working to conserve the scenic and natural values of the Ligonier Valley. Our Mountain Streams project has added 9,600 acres of land to Forbes State Forest, while more than 5,400 acres of private land have been protected through conservation easements. Our most recent acquisition of a 25-acre conservation easement in Ligonier Township, Westmoreland County, enables the preservation of additional open space as well as the archaeological value of the land. The property, which is now a permanent preserve for archaeological research and education, is the site of a prehistoric Native American village of the Monongahela culture dating back to around 1600.

Expanding State and County Parks	Enhancing State Game Lands
Conserving High Priority Landscapes	Enabling Future Conservation Work

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