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Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Awards $3.8 Million to Protect Natural Areas and Further Forest Research in Pike County

Posted on: Wednesday, 6 September 2006, 15:00 CDT

MILFORD, Pa., Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today said the state will support the Delaware Highland Conservancy's efforts to protect the Milford Experimental Forest property - a 1,108-acre forested track in Pike County near the Grey Towers National Historic Site - for continued forestry and wildlife research, conservation education and passive recreation.

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy will receive $3.8 million in grants from Growing Greener II and the USDA Forest Service's Forest Legacy program.

"As the ancestral home of Gifford Pinchot, former Governor and the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service, Grey Towers is a testament to the value Pennsylvanians place on conservation," Governor Rendell said. "The protection of this nearby property will increase the opportunity for Grey Towers to teach people about the history and best practices in forestry.

"Pike County is the fastest growing county in Pennsylvania and it is critical that we protect its natural resources," the Governor added. "This Growing Greener II grant is an investment in open space, watershed protection and forest resources. It's also an investment in the region's quality of life."

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis presented a check to the conservancy today at a celebratory event that included the official opening and ribbon cutting of a new Visitor Pavilion and parking area at Grey Towers. The project will improve visitor services, safety and security.

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy will use the grant money to purchase a conservation easement, which means the land is protected from development.

"This property offers forestlands, 7 miles of an exceptional trout stream, water source protection and great opportunities to study forest ecology, management and conservation history - and it should be protected," DiBerardinis said. "It also allows us to buffer already existing public lands through an easement on private lands to link them together as a conservation corridor and open space network."

The Milford Experimental Forest property has a 2-mile border with Delaware State Forest, 2/3 of a mile border with Forest Service property and is within feet of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Sure Currier, executive director of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy, said conserving the Milford Experimental Forest property has been a top priority for her organization.

"The population of Pike County is expected to triple in the next 25 years, and developers are looking over every large parcel of land, making the timing of protection of important parcels critical," Currier said. "This land has high conservation value for its forest cover, biodiversity and as a key birthplace for scientific forestry and the ideas of the conservation movement."

Grey Towers is operated by the USDA Forest Service and draws 25,000 visitors annually for house and garden tours, conference facilities, environmental education programs and concerts and other recreational activities such as short hiking trails.

"Grey Towers has played such a vital role in the histories of Pennsylvania and the Forest Service that it is especially fitting that we have collaborated on a project that we can both be proud of, and will help our conservation futures as well," Grey Towers Director Richard Patterson said.

For more information about DCNR's Growing Greener II program, visit http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/ and click on "Recreation and Conservation." For more information about the federal Forest Legacy program or Grey Towers, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/.

The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at: http://www.governor.state.pa.us/.

CONTACT: Kate Philips 717-783-1116 Christina Novak (DCNR) 717-772-9101 Lori McKean USDA Forest Service 570-296-9672 Sue Currier Delaware Highlands Conservancy 570-226-3164

Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

CONTACT: Kate Philips, Pennsylvania Office of the Governor,+1-717-783-1116; or Christina Novak, DCNR, +1-717-772-9101; or Lori McKean,USDA Forest Service, +1-570-296-9672; or Sue Currier, Delaware HighlandsConservancy, +1-570-226-3164

Web site: http://www.governor.state.pa.us/http://www.fs.fed.us/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/

Source: PRNewswire

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