Local conservation nonprofit Allegheny Land Trust completed several projects in the final months of 2022, conserving an additional 120 acres across the county. The newly conserved land will allow for the permanent protection of natural assets and their ecosystems.
Lindsay Dill, senior director of marketing & community engagement for the Allegheny Land Trust, says the projects will also allow nearby residents to enjoy nature for years to come.
“We feel that our region’s close-to-home green space is one of its most valuable assets, yet each year our region continues to lose 2,000 acres of green space to sprawling development that is not matched by our population growth rate,” she says. “By conserving another 120 ½ acres, we’re ensuring the permanent protection of natural assets that can be enjoyed by residents today and generations to come.”
The organization has protected more than 3,600 acres of green space across 32 different municipalities in Allegheny and Washington counties.
Recent conservation projects include:
10.55 acres in Baldwin Borough: The added acreage will expand the adjacent Hays Woods Park in Pittsburgh.
9.16 acres in Millvale: Expands the Allegheny Land Trust’s adjacent Girty’s Woods conservation area and creates the potential for a new sustainable trailhead. The land and funds associated with the acquisition were donated by the School Sisters of St. Francis.
14.75 acres in Moon Township: Expands the partnered efforts of the Allegheny Land Trust, Hollow Oak Land Trust and the Montour Trail Council. The land will be transferred to the Hollow Oak Land Trust to add to the 320-acre Montour Woods Conservation Area land along the Montour Trail.
41.18 acres in Reserve and Shaler townships: The acquisition is the result of a partnership among the previous landowner, a new farmer and the Allegheny Land Trust. It builds upon conservation efforts in the Girty’s Run Watershed.
44.58 acres in Indiana Township: This partnership involved an easement on a family’s land ensuring that the land remains as permanent green space.
0.15 acres in Wilkinsburg Borough: Part of the Allegheny Land Trust and Grow Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Agricultural Land Initiative, this area near Kirkpatrick Street and Bentley Drive ensures that nearby community members can grow food close to home.
0.14 acres in Wilkinsburg Borough: Part of the Allegheny Land Trust and Grow Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Agricultural Land Initiative, this project expands the Garden Dreams site at the corner of Center Street and Holland Avenue.
Dill says the newly acquired land addressed the challenges Allegheny County deals with such as flooding and combined sewer overflow, landslides, and air and water quality.
“Each project had its own passionate landowner or community behind it. We’re grateful to be able to apply our skills, tools and expertise in land conservation to community needs across the region,” says Dill.
“Conserving close-to-home green space is a tactile, effective way to locally address climate change and other global challenges, and we were lucky to work with individuals and communities interested in doing the work to better our region for generations to come.”