Western PA Conservancy Protects 164 Acres Of Forestland, Wetlands In French Creek Watershed, Adds To Conservation Area In Erie County

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy announced a forested 164-acre property with stream frontage on the South Branch French Creek in Concord and Wayne Townships, Erie County, is now protected from future development. 

The land has been added to the now 400-acre South Branch French Creek Conservation Area, one of the Conservancy’s 45 nature preserves.

This property is a mix of forest, wetlands and swamps, and offers approximately a half mile of frontage along the creek and an unnamed tributary. 

The property is about one mile upstream from the South Branch French Creek–Lilley Run Natural Heritage Area where vulnerable species, including 12 species of birds, brook trout and Baltimore checkerspot butterfly, have been or are likely to be found.

The South Branch French Creek Conservation Area, which opened to the public in 2018, features a diverse mix of habitats including forest, creek frontage, wetlands, vernal pools and former agricultural fields. 

The extensive forest features hard maple, soft maple, beech, cherry and large, old-growth hemlocks. 

Located 2.5 miles from Union City, the area is open to visitors to enjoy nature through hiking, birding, wildlife watching, hunting and fishing. 

This newly protected 164-acre property is nearby, but not contiguous to the existing 236-acre area.

“Protecting French Creek and its tributaries continues to be of great importance to the Conservancy. We’re glad to have the opportunity to protect this property that increases aquatic habitat and improves the water quality of creeks and streams in this important watershed,” says Tom Saunders, president and CEO of the Conservancy.

South Branch French Creek is a major tributary to French Creek. French Creek is known as the most biologically diverse stream of its size in Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States, making its protection all the more important. 

To date, the Conservancy has protected more than 6,000 acres within the 1,250 square mile French Creek watershed, starting with Conservancy’s Wattsburg Fen Natural Area in 1969.

The acquisition of this property was made possible thanks to funding from Colcom Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and a gift and two bequests from private donors.

For more information about conservation options to protect land in Western Pennsylvania, please contact the Conservancy at 412-288-2777 or land@paconserve.org. 

Click Here for the Conservancy announcement.

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy enhances the region by protecting and restoring exceptional places. 

A private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped establish 11 state parks, conserved more than a quarter million acres of natural lands, protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, and assessed thousands of wildlife species and their habitats.

[Posted: February 2, 2026]  PA Environment Digest