Photo Courtesy of Manada Conservancy

Photo Courtesy of Manada Conservancy

Forty years ago, a pair of landowners purchased a 30-acre homestead in Lower Paxton Township on the lower slopes of Blue Mountain. They did so with a promise to the former landowner that they would protect the land from future development. “Ultimately, we met her, and assured her that we did not plan to develop the property. She sold it to us on the spot,” recalls one of the landowners

The landowners kept their promise and in April 2020, Manada Conservancy announced they had successfully protected the property. The landowners’ decision to work with Manada Conservancy to put a conservation easement on the property ensures that the land will be preserved in perpetuity. For Manada Conservancy, the decision to preserve this ecologically rich patch of woodland in an increasingly developed landscape was an easy one.

The property lies within the Kittatinny Corridor, a stretch of land that spans the state from New Jersey to Maryland and is a top conservation priority for the Kittatinny Ridge Coalition comprised of Audubon Pennsylvania, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, and a number of fellow land trusts throughout Pennsylvania, as well as
federal, state, and county partners.

Thanks to the vision and commitment of the landowners, another piece of the Kittatinny Corridor has been preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Photo Courtesy of Manada Conservancy