French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust has preserved 54 acres along St. Matthews Road in West Vincent Township through a conservation easement on property owned by 18 Years, established by township residents Paul and Cynthia Black and Bob and Shelley Casciato. The name 18 Years comes from the fact that it took that long for the couples to acquire the land from real estate developers that planned to build 20 houses on the property.
The property is adjacent to the recently French & Pickering conserved 100-acre 16 Years, and 1,100-acre Natural Lands conserved Bryn Coed Landscape and Preserve and provides a trail connection to it. Some of 18 Years is farmed, with the remainder in woodlands, and it is part of the Birchrun watershed, which empties into the Pickering Creek, desginated as high-quality by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The easement was funded by grants from Chester County Parks and Preservation, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, West Vincent Township Open Space funds and the Open Space Institute through the William Penn Foundation.
Since its establishment in 1967, French & Pickering has protected more than 13,000 acres in northern Chester County through purchases, conservation easements and public/private partnerships. The nonprofit organization works with landowners, townships, foundations and the state and county to purchase and monitor conservation easements, create parkland and preserve environmentally sensitive land.
Because of the pandemic, many people are looking for outdoor recreational opportunities. "(The easement) provides additional trails for the community to get out and walk on," said Kersten Appler, director of development and operations. "During these hard times, French & Pickering is dedicated to helping people to get outside and maintain their emotional and physical health through experiencing their trails and preserves."
The following two French & Pickering properties are open to the public and contain miles of marked hiking trails and scenic views.
The Great Marsh Preserve in East Nantmeal Township consists of more than 550 acres of woodland wildlife habitat. The natural space houses many species of birds and mammals and is an important source of clean water for the Great Marsh ecosystem.
The Thomas P. Bentley Nature Preserve in East Nantmeal and Warwick townships is a 108-acre site that includes the ruins of the Warwick Iron Furnace and the south branch of the French Creek, desginated by the DEP as an execeptional value waterway.
For more information, readers may visit http://www.frenchandpickering.org or http://www.facebook.com/FPCCT.
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