deletePennsylvania Project Map

1.   Allegheny National Forest, Forest County
In Northwestern Pennsylvania, TPL assisted the U.S. Forest Service in acquiring a 97-acre forested wildlife corridor, including over half of a mile of shoreline along Tionesta Creek as well as islands within the creek. The property was a top priority acquisition for the Forest and supports ongoing efforts to re-introduce the river otter to its former habitat in the upper reaches of Tionesta Creek.

2.   Three Rivers Heritage Trail, Allegheny County
Working with the Pittsburgh-based Friends of the Riverfront and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), TPL negotiated the purchase of a 4.5-acre waterfront parcel as a critical link in the proposed 11.5-mile Three Rivers Heritage Trail. When complete, the trail will expand public access to the riverfront, provide alternative transportation (hiking and biking) from Pittsburgh's Central Business District to Homestead (just outside of Pittsburgh's city limits), and connect a variety of other trails in the Allegheny County Greenways Program. The Trail will start in Millvale Borough on the north side of Pittsburgh and follow the North Shore of the Allegheny River, through Pittsburgh's Central Business District, across the West End Bridge, and then follow the South Shore of the Monongehela River east to Homestead.

3.   Milford Reservation, Pike County
In 1996, TPL acquired the 1,646-acre Milford Reservation property as a significant link in a wildlife corridor and open space network within Pike County. TPL also arranged for 300 acres of the Milford property to be leased to the Pike County as the county's first public park. Not only does the total property encompass two ponds, over 300 acres of wetlands, three streams, extensive woodlands, and habitat for at least four endangered species, but it is also adjacent to 5,800 acres of Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry land and 2,400 acres of Pennsylvania Game Commission properties. Under the stewardship of the Bureau of Forestry, the Milford Reservation tract is now permanently protected for public recreation and enjoyment.

4.   Elco Borough Park, Washington County
In this small Southwestern Pennsylvania town (pop. 373), not far south of Pittsburgh, TPL helped four neighboring communities preserve a 5-acre waterfront recreation facility that had been heavily used by the communities for over 40 years. The Elco Civic Association had been leasing the land which consists of ballfields, playground equipment, and a public pier for swimming, fishing, and boating from a private company. When the company filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11, it was forced to liquidate as much of its idle real estate assets as possible, including Elco Borough Park which had considerable commercial value from its location along the Monongahela River. With assistance from Pennsylvania Recreational Improvement and Rehabilitation (RIRA) Funds, TPL was able to acquire the parkland on behalf of Elco Borough, safeguarding the public recreation facility from commercial development. In addition, TPL made a gift to Elco in the amount of $3,000 for improvements to the playground and ballfields.

5.   Peters Township Reservoir, Washington County
As part of a creative public-private partnership, TPL assisted this suburb of Pittsburgh in acquiring a 190-acre property encompassing a 40-acre reservoir surrounded by 150 acres of hardwood forest. At the request of the township, TPL helped secure a $400,000 Pennsylvania Land Trust grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs towards the purchase of the property. As the largest privately owned woodland in the township, the acquisition represented a rare opportunity to protect an area for passive recreation as well as a refuge for a diversity of wildlife in a rapidly suburbanizing area.