Western PA Conservancy Preserves 28 Acres Along The Allegheny River In Warren County Thanks To Easement Donation By Randall Gustafson

On January 6, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy announced forested land along the Allegheny River is now permanently protected thanks to a conservation easement donation from Randall Gustafson on 28 acres of his property in Pleasant and Watson townships, Warren County.

The property has 2,200 feet of frontage on the Allegheny River, which is Pennsylvania’s 2024 River of the Year, and is adjacent to a large section of the Allegheny National Forest, thus providing habitat connectivity from the ANF to the Allegheny River for aquatic and terrestrial wildlife.

This section of the Allegheny River is a Pennsylvania Water Trail and federally designated as a Wild and Scenic River. 

Thompson Island, which the Conservancy helped ANF acquire in 1966, is located upstream of the property in the Allegheny Islands Wilderness.

The property will remain privately owned by Mr. Gustafson, who grew up on the land where his family hunted, fished, picnicked and hiked for decades. 

His donation to the Conservancy honors his father, Russell, who taught him the importance of respecting nature, sustainable forestry and caring for the region’s natural heritage.

“It was important to my family that our property remained natural forever,” says Mr. Gustafson as he reflected on how his father, who was a lumberman and community leader, also taught him how to fish on the banks of the Allegheny. “My wife and I taught our kids how to fish here, too, so it’s reassuring that the legacy of this special place will continue to endure long after I’m gone.”

Since the 1980s, his family property has been enrolled in Pennsylvania’s Clean and Green program, which provides incentives for landowners to keep their land agricultural or forested.

“Protecting my land with a conservation easement was the logical next step for us, especially knowing that one day the land could be open to the public and always accessible to future generations of my family,” he adds.

Also known as permanent deed-restriction agreements, conservation easements limit future development and subdivision, and are tailored to meet specific landowner needs and conservation goals. 

The Conservancy will be responsible for monitoring the easement to ensure the land remains natural and undeveloped, and conservation values are protected in perpetuity.

“This donation of a conservation easement along the Allegheny River is a wonderful and important gift from the Gustafson family,” said Tom Saunders, president and CEO of the Conservancy. “We thank them for their generosity to ensure that their land along the Allegheny remains undeveloped.”

The Conservancy welcomes inquiries from landowners interested in learning more about donating conservation easements or other conservation options. 

For more information, please contact the Conservancy at 412-288-2777 or land@paconserve.org. 

Click Here for the Conservancy announcement and photos.

More information is available on programs, initiatives and special events at the Western PA Conservancy website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Conservancy, Like them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, join them on Instagram, visit the Conservancy’s YouTube Channel or add them to your network on Linkedin.  Click Here to support their work.

The Conservancy has helped to establish 11 state parks, conserved more than 250,000 acres of natural lands and protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, maintains 132 community gardens and other green spaces that are planted with the help of more than 11,000 volunteers and the support of more than 9,000 members.

Resource Links:

-- WPC Conserve Magazine: Volunteers Find A Happy Place Among Riparian Trees

-- Western PA Conservancy Conserve Magazine, Winter 2024

Related Articles:

-- Western PA Conservancy Preserves 28 Acres Along The Allegheny River In Warren County Thanks To Easement Donation By Randall Gustafson  [PaEN]  

-- PA Environmental Council Announces $30,000 In Water Trail Mini-Grants To 8 Groups  [PaEN] 

-- Western PA Conservancy Seeks Riparian Steward Volunteers In Armstrong, Erie, Forest, Indiana, Jefferson, Potter, Venango Counties [PaEN] 

-- PA iMapInvasives Newsletter Highlights Jumping Worm Jamboree, Benefits Of Regional Invasive Species Partnerships, Plant Patrol In Indiana County, Restoring Mussels In Dunkard Creek  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Natural Lands: Participate In A Jan. 20  MLK Day Of Service Event In One Of Our Preserves

-- Natural Lands: Apply Now For Class Of 2025 Force Of Nature Volunteer Program 

[Posted: January 7, 2025]  PA Environment Digest