Land Conservation
ClearWater Conservancy's Land Conservation Program seeks to balance the rapid growth of central Pennsylvania with the conservation of important ecological, cultural, and historic places. We work with landowners and managers to determine appropriate conservation methods, including land management recommendations, conservation easements, and land acquisition.
Galbraith
Gap Land Acquisition
ClearWater Conservancy’s goal is to acquire 152 acres of land located in Galbraith Gap, Harris Township, Centre County. Once purchased, the property will be reconveyed to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry who will incorporate it into the adjacent Rothrock State Forest. We need to raise $700,000 to make this happen through a combination of grants and donations from the community.
For more information about this project or to make a donation, contact Katie Ombalski at (814) 237-0400 or katie@clearwaterconservancy.org.
Recreational Importance
Rothrock
State Forest is nearly 85,000 acres in size, contains an extensive trail system
including the Mid-State Trail, and is within biking distance to the town of
State College and Penn State University. Galbraith Gap serves as the main
recreation gateway to Rothrock State Forest for hikers, birdwatchers, mountain
bikers, and cross country skiers of the State College community. However,
critical trail connectivity to the trailhead amenities has always been lacking.
The narrow public land corridor was not conducive to the development of a
sustainable trail alignment, forcing bicycle and foot traffic onto the road way.
Additionally, vehicular traffic on the roads has increased as the community has
grown, further creating a potentially dangerous situation.
The addition of the Aikens tract (commonly called “the missing link” by the local recreational community) to Rothrock State Forest would allow the Tussey Mountain trail complex to be connected to Bald Knob Ridge Trail and Shingletown Gap via trail. There are several regional and national events that traverse this area (The Wilderness 101 mountain bike race, The Rothrock Challenge Ultra-Hike, Tussey MountainBack Relay and Ultramarathon) that have helped increase the profile of the area. By encouraging trail use, the experience of the user will be increased while the potential for conflict and risk is minimized.
Ecological Importance
Galbraith Gap is a
forested mountain gap and a very popular recreational gateway into Rothrock
State Forest. Acquisition of this highly-desirable property will result in the
permanent protection of 152 acres of sensitive mountain gap habitat,
conservation of portions of the Greater Tussey Mountain Important Bird Area
(Pennsylvania Audubon 1999), Rothrock State Forest and Stone
Mountain
Important Bird Area (Pennsylvania Audubon 1999), Central Mountains Important
Mammal Area (Pennsylvania Mammal Technical Committee of the Pennsylvania
Biological Survey 2006), and buffering of the adjacent Shingletown Gap
Biological Diversity Area (Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and the Pennsylvania
Natural Heritage Program 2002).
It will also result in the near-complete (99%) protection of a forested headwater watershed (a rare opportunity), permanent protection of 2,400 feet of a high-quality coldwater headwater tributary, and permanent protection of one of five remaining native brook trout populations in the Spring Creek Watershed. The proposed project will also protect habitat for many Species of Special Concern listed in the Pennsylvania State Wildlife Action Plan.
Conservation of this property is also consistent with the objectives of many federal, regional, state, and local plans including:
- 2006 National Fish Habitat Action Plan
-
Chesapeake
2000 Agreement, Pennsylvania State Wildlife Action Plan - Centre County Comprehensive Plan
- Centre County Recreational and Greenway Plan
- Nittany Bald Eagle Greenway Plan
- Centre Region Comprehensive Plan
- Nittany Valley Conservation Action Plan
- Spring Creek Rivers Conservation Plan
- Upper Spring Creek Watershed Coldwater Conservation Plan
It also addresses threats identified to eastern brook trout by Trout Unlimited and the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture.
Photos by Matt Dallos