Northampton County receiving the $730,000 grant marks Pennsylvania's first competitive funding award of the year.
For a total acquisition cost of $1.4 million, Northampton County said it will match the funding.
43 acres of open space within the Borough of Stockertown will be permanently protected.
A proposal for the 43-acre land acquisition was presented by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) in collaboration with the county. This project will accomplish a key objective in the Commonwealth's Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape by conserving land within the two-county area.
Cindy Adams Dunn, secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)is excited for the expanded recreation opportunities it will provide to the public. The acquisition of the property not only assists the Commonwealth in filling a significant trail gap in Northampton County's Two Rivers Trailway, but it also supports the Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape's efforts to develop a top-notch trail system within the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor by expanding the LINK Trail Network.
The purchase will expand the County of Northampton's 2,380 acres of parks, trails, and open space areas.
Over the last ten years, Northampton County has seen an exponential increase in the construction of massive warehouses and logistics facilities, eradicating the county's agriculture and open space at an unprecedented rate. The acquisition preserves the agricultural, environmentally sensitive habitat and trail connections in the Bushkill Creek Watershed while safeguarding the land from development. Our Division of Parks and Recreation staff will continue to collaborate with DCNR and the USFWS to conserve important open space in Northampton County, and we are honored to receive this prestigious grant award.
Officials established the Highlands Conservation Act funding program to save important landscapes and natural resources for both people and wildlife. The Office of Conservation within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for overseeing it.
The 3.4 million acres that constitute the Highlands region are spread over Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
