When he speaks to local organizations, Phil Wenger, president of the Lancaster Conservancy, is clear about the efforts of the organization. "We are a land trust," explained Wenger. "We are giving God's beautiful natural world a place to expand and thrive in spite of mankind's development, (which leads to) habitat destruction."
With that concept in mind, the conservancy acquired a 90-acre parcel of land adjacent to Speedwell County Park, 480 Speedwell Forge Road, Lititz, in October.
According to Wenger, the tract of land is unique in a number of ways. "One way is that there is a stream (on the land) that comes into the lake," said Wenger, who called the Hammer Creek, which flows into Speedwell Forge Lake, "pristine." He added that because Lancaster County has so few lakes, Speedwell is a top priority for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The land is also unusual in the county because it is forested. "Most 100-acre tracts have a farm associated with them and structures that need to be acquired," said Wenger, who noted that because the land had no building on it, it could be purchased as is. The land's proximity to a county park and other protected land also made the acreage attractive.
Although preserving the water quality of Speedwell Forge Lake is a priority, it is not the only reason for the land purchase. Preserving habitat is an important goal. "Water quality is one of our major motivations, but this land provides ecosystem services," Wenger pointed out. "We want to create places with intact forests because we know the biodiversity that is being lost by our community." Wenger explained that in addition to storing carbon, trees provide homes for insects that birds feed on. "We protect land so we can create healthy, intact systems. Our board is motivated to protect land for its biodiversity and its natural restoration qualities."
A second reason for preserving land is for recreation. Wenger noted that nearby Speedwell Forge County Park is already protected and offers trails for hiking and running. Whether the recently purchased property will be open for recreation remains to be seen. "Once we acquire a tract of land, we do an environmental study," explained Wenger, who expects habitat preservation will be the goal for the 90 acres. "We study the property for 24 months and (create) a management plan to implement over the next decade," he said. "We will keep the deer from eating everything so we can regenerate the oak forest, and we will do stream restoration."
Lancaster Conservancy, an accredited land trust, was founded in 1969. The organization currently manages more than 7,500 acres and owns nearly 50 nature preserves where the public can hike. More information about the conservancy may be found at http://www.lancasterconservancy.org.
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