ClearWater Conservancy completed the purchase of 281 mountainside acres on Tussey Mountain in Harris and Ferguson Townships and transferred the land to public ownership as part of Rothrock State Forest October 29.
The land, purchased from Richard and Bernadette Hale, is immediately to the east of Musser Gap, a property conserved by ClearWater in similar fashion in 2006. Since 2007, ClearWater Conservancy has added 928 acres on Tussey Mountain to Rothrock State Forest, creating conserved land for wildlife and recreational use in perpetuity.
(Photo: View from Mt. Nittany.)
“ClearWater Conservancy is delighted to acquire the properties and transfer ownership to Rothrock State Forest. We trust in the land management philosophy and stewardship of the forest resources carried out by the Bureau of Forestry in our community. Land conservation activities like this are at the core of ClearWater’s mission of conserving the special, beautiful, natural places that give our region its character,” said ClearWater Conservancy President Steve Miller.
As part of Rothrock State Forest, the land will now be owned and cared for by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry.
"The Forest District and the users of the Rothrock owe a debt of gratitude to ClearWater Conservancy for their diligence in this almost two-year project to make this acquisition happen. The tract will now be evaluated by District staff for forest stand health and for recreational opportunities,” said Mark Potter, District Forester for Rothrock State Forest.
Conserving and protecting mountain land does more than secure scenic views and recreation, it helps ensure safe drinking water for the entire region.
“This adds 280 acres of protected mountain land to the mountain recharge area and creates an excellent source water protection area for Slab Cabin Run and both the Harter and Thomas well fields. This is very important for the community’s drinking water supplies because it has been estimated that mountain runoff provides upwards of 50 percent of the groundwater recharge to the carbonate aquifers that support the State Borough Water Authority’s Thomas and Harter well fields, ” said Brian Heiser, SCBWA Water Production Superintendent.
Funding for the acquisition was from DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation via The Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, DCNR Bureau of Forestry and ClearWater Conservancy.
ClearWater Conservancy’s Land Conservation Program seeks to balance the rapid growth of central Pennsylvania with the conservation of important ecological, cultural, and historic places. They work with interested landowners and managers to determine appropriate and voluntary conservation methods, including land management recommendations, conservation easements, and land acquisitions.