The easement includes woodlands, meadow, and a wetland, which seeps toward an intermittent tributary that flows into the Susquehanna.
It is located along a forested ridge that provides critical wildlife habitat in the Highlands region, which is a federally designated greenway that spans the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains from Connecticut to Maryland, protecting water resources, forests, and meadows, and providing a migratory corridor for wildlife including large mammals such as black bears.
“This conservation easement provided a wonderful opportunity to protect part of an important landscape while confirming an expanded approach to conservation easements,” said Kate Gonick, Senior Vice President of Land Protection and General Counsel at Lancaster Conservancy.
The property included in the easement is surrounded by development on two sides and serves as a buffer to nearby forested lands.
The property is referred to as “Honeysuckle Hollow” by its owner Joseph Ulrich and his wife Lynda.
“Municipal sewage service to the adjacent residential areas reopened the possibility of development of Honeysuckle Hollow. With the efforts we put into encouraging native species and habitat for wildlife, we desired to explore means to protect Honeysuckle Hollow regardless of future ownership,” said Joseph Ulrich.
“Ultimately, we chose to proceed with the donation of the easement as it met our goals of keeping the conservation values of the property protected into the future. It is our hope that even our small Honeysuckle Hollow paradise will serve as an example of what is possible to help preserve the dwindling natural resources in our world.”
While the Conservancy’s nature preserves are owned and managed by the Conservancy and often open for public recreation, property owners may choose to maintain ownership and protect their land through a conservation easement.
A conservation easement is a legally binding agreement tied to the property deed that ensures the land will never be developed and protects the natural, cultural, and scenic resources of the property.
Easements can help connect habitat to create green corridors which are important for wildlife, and they can provide buffers to Conservancy preserves.
When considering an easement, the Conservancy works with landowners to identify resources on the property that are important to the Conservancy and the landowner and to establish a plan to protect what they value.
Once finalized, the conservation easement is recorded and, like a deed when one sells their property, the conservation easement is tied to the land forever – meaning it can never be developed.
The Conservancy monitors conservation easement areas on a yearly basis to ensure the landowner manages the property according to the conservation easement.
Because a conservation easement has a value, the landowner may be able to realize a tax benefit from donating an easement.
“The Highlands region of Lancaster County is incredibly important to protect, and the Ulrichs’ commitment to restoring their land is admirable. This donated easement allows the Conservancy to work alongside the Ulrichs to ensure their conservation values are captured and acted on for generations to come. We are grateful for their leadership and contribution,” said Fritz Schroeder, President & CEO of the Lancaster Conservancy.
If you are interested in protecting your property through an easement, contact the Conservancy’s Land Protection department by calling (717) 392-7891.
Click Here for the Lancaster Conservancy announcement.
The Lancaster Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust that has protected over 11,000 acres of natural land since its founding more than 50 years ago. The Conservancy manages over 50 nature preserves in Lancaster County and in York County in the Susquehanna Riverlands Conservation Landscape.
Related Articles This Week:
-- Lancaster Conservancy Transfers 175-Acre Rock Springs Nature Preserve To DCNR To Protect The Future Of Globally Rare Serpentine Barrens In Lancaster County [PaEN]
-- Natural Lands Finalizes The Protection Of 60 Acres Of Forest In Hopewell Big Woods, Berks County [PaEN]
-- Lancaster Conservancy Partners With Landowner To Protect 11.6 Acres Of Woodlands In Canoy Township With New Conservation Easement [PaEN]
-- WeConservePA Now Accepting Applications For Project Planning Grants [PaEN]
-- Reforesting Appalachia: Suntory Group And Bosland Growth Join Forces To Elevate Hardwood Conservation In Pennsylvania, West Virginia [PaEN]
-- Registration Open! WeConservePA Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference April 29 - May 1 In Lancaster [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- WESA: The Nature Conservancy Acquires 279 Acres In Cambria County To Protect Rare Birds
-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Game Commission Board Votes For Land Swap Widely Opposed By Limerick Residents
[Posted: January 30, 2026] PA Environment Digest
