USA -(Ammoland.com)- The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today approved the purchase of 509 acres in Clifton Township, Lackawanna County, and Lehigh and Sterling townships, Wayne County, adjoining State Game Lands 312 from The Wildlands Conservancy Inc., Emmaus, for a $290,000 lump sum payment from third-party commitments for compensation of habitat and recreational losses occurring in previously approved projects on state game lands.
The tract is forested with northern hardwoods and hemlock/spruce wetland areas, and contains the headwaters of the Lehigh River, which flows through it, as well as 2.5 miles of waterways and more than 230 acres of high-quality riparian and wetland habitat.
The tract also has habitat capable of holding snowshoe hares.
The board also approved the purchase of 72 acres in Dunbar Township, Fayette County, adjoining State Game Lands 51 from The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, of Pittsburgh, for a $70,000 lump sum payment from Rice Poseidon Midstream LLC for compensation of habitat and recreational losses that occurred on state game lands from a previously approved project.
The pole timber mixed hardwood tract is located in the Youghiogheny Valley, adjacent to Ohiopyle State Park. It contains parts of the
Youghiogheny Valley, Ohiopyle State Park Important Bird Area and the Chestnut Ridge/Laurel Ridge Important Mammal Area. Bruner Run flows through the property.
The Game Commission has a long history of working with these conservancies, noted Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans.
“It’s hard to imagine how much more limited public lands would be in Pennsylvania without the assistance of Pennsylvania’s land conservancies,” Burhans said. “They’ve made an enormous difference for the Game Commission, other state agencies and, of course, wildlife and Pennsylvanians.”