LAND FOR ALL Public Benefits of Land Protection
The Conservancy protected 1,495 acres along Bennett Branch Sinnemahoning Creek that were added to Moshannon State Forest.
This protected land helps expand public outdoor recreation opportunities in Fayette County, including nearby residents in the Uniontown community. Jane Menchyk, a land protection manager at the Conservancy, worked with landowners, partners and local entities in the Laurel Highlands to protect these
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pectacular natural beauty, rugged and forested mountain ridges, and endless connected rivers and streams are just some of the reasons that Pennsylvania continues to rank among the top places for hikers, anglers, bikers and hunters to enjoy year-round outdoor recreation. The state is also regularly ranked as a must-see destination for fall leaves and wildlife. Many of these assets are because of the state’s more than three million acres of state parks, game lands and forests that are protected and freely enjoyed annually by millions of Pennsylvanians and visitors. Since the early 1940s, the Conservancy’s land protection work has helped contribute to this legacy of public lands. Of the more than 290,000 acres of land protected by the Conservancy, approximately 200,000 acres have been conveyed to either the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Allegheny National Forest or other public entities as public land. This land protection includes our work to help establish 11 state parks including Ohiopyle, Erie Bluffs and McConnells Mill state parks and some state game lands. We continue to expand the state parks, game lands and forests to support recreation and a diverse range of wildlife species that depend on these areas for survival. For example, in 2024, the Conservancy protected 2,300 acres that were added to state public lands. A 735-acre property in North Union Township, Fayette County is one of the properties we protected this year. It was conveyed to DCNR as an addition to Forbes State Forest. This is a 60,000-acre forest in Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties spreads across the high ridges of the Laurel Highlands, including the 3,213-ft. Mt. Davis—the highest point in Pennsylvania. Since the 1960s, the Conservancy has protected more than 83,000 acres of open space in the Laurel Highlands.
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CONSERVE
acres for the state forest. Although it takes many years to conserve land, she shares that it is rewarding to play a role in helping to ensure habitat protection for rare or threatened species by keeping species’ habitats intact and connected. Providing habitat connectivity is an important consideration to ensure that plant and animal species have pathways through connected habitats and landscapes. This allows species to move more easily to more temperate and tolerable environments as the climate changes. “Land protection is one of the key actions to ensure the