Pennsylvania

By Patrick F. Noonan, Chairman Emeritus, The Conservation Fund

As Americans, we are united by our shared heritage. We learn from and celebrate our history so that future generations can better understand the places, people and events that shaped our nation.

This is the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on America. History isn’t something that just lives in the past; it is a cloth whose threads are constantly being woven—further binding our great nation. Looking back on that day and again feeling raw emotions, we are reminded of the heroism and strength of America, of the bravery of fellow citizens who sacrificed themselves to protect thousands of us.

We know one of those inspiring stories by heart: After hearing word about the hijacking of other planes and the horrific destruction in New York City and the Pentagon, the passengers and crew of Flight 93 made a collective and daring decision to take action. Working together, they fought for control of the plane, ultimately crashing it in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Honoring the passengers and crew and marking their place in history is essential for our collective healing, remembrance and inspiration.

On September 11, the President and First Lady will dedicate the new Flight 93 National Memorial, located at the crash site. This “Field of Honor” was once privately-owned. Volunteers immediately helped to protect it; today, thanks to the generosity of private citizens and the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), this hallowed ground and Memorial will inspire our children and grandchildren.

For over 45 years, the LWCF has protected places significant to America’s history and heritage. It has protected Gettysburg, Yellowstone, and wildlife habitat and clean water across the country. And just as the Flight 93 National Memorial provides a unique and necessary opportunity to honor the heroism and collective spirit that brought us all together on September 11, these LWCF investments across the country have been vital to the many places that make us who we are as Americans.

Every year, a fraction of the revenues paid by companies conducting offshore oil and gas development are deposited into the Land and Water Conservation Fund. And every year, Congress has the ability to appropriate LWCF monies to protect historic or natural places, and provide matching grants for community parks and ballfields across the country. In spite of being a non-tax revenue source dedicated to protecting parks, open space, and natural resources, LWCF funding is continually diverted to unrelated purposes. This year, the U.S. House of Representatives is considering nearly zeroing out the Fund entirely.

In this time of national fiscal crisis, we have critical choices to make about the investments that will shape the future of our economy and our nation. When the President visits Shanksville to honor our past, we hope he can inspire all of us to appreciate what it takes to preserve our nation’s heritage. As a people, we need the stories that illuminate our past, and we need the generosity of spirit and resources like the LWCF to ensure those stories remain vibrant long into the future.

In northeast Pennsylvania, Lackawanna State Forest is a beautiful natural area that shelters wildlife and offers outdoor enthusiasts a colorful place to hike, hunt, fish and paddle. The forest also provides the natural system that cleans the water supply for the surrounding communities.

Yet nearly 3,000 acres around the forest was slated for development. That's when we started working with public and private partners to acquire a 2,650-acre tract of land that for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as a permanent addition to the forest, expanding it to more than 30,000 acres. “This property had been slated for development, but many people in the area wanted to see it conserved,” said Todd McNew, Pennsylvania director of The Conservation Fund.

Creating A Greater Whole: Connecting State Forest Lands

Helping form what environmentalists have labeled the Lehigh River Conservation Corridor, the newly acquired property provides prime upland forest, several miles of waterways, significant wetland acreage and ideal habitat for black bear, bobcat, river otter, coyote, fisher, snowshoe hares and white-tailed deer. It contains several miles of frontage on the Lehigh River, Choke Creek, Trout Creek and Kendall Run. The 40-foot Choke Creek Falls is a popular landmark known for its extraordinary beauty. The area will be opened to hunters, hikers and all other state forest recreational enthusiasts.

According to Cindy Dunn, Deputy Secretary of DCNR, "this acquisition carries tremendous ‘connectivity’ value by linking more than 70,000 acres of state forest, state game lands and non-profit conservation lands.”

This is not the first addition to the state forest by the Fund. Previously, we helped preserve 4,000 acres and four miles of river frontage along the Lehigh River, fulfilling a high priority of the Pennsylvania DCNR's Pocono Forest and Waters Conservation Landscape effort. Other partners included Monroe County, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlands Conservancy, Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Thornhurst Township in Lackawanna County.

Read the press release for more information.