Land Conservation
On the 150th anniversary of Nittany Farms, the owner felt an appropriate celebration would be to insure its indefinite survival and preservation. In 1990, Galen Dreibelbis donated the development rights for the farm to the ClearWater Conservancy. The 287-acre farm was an attractive site for an easement. Not only does the site have a vast history, but the headwaters of Spring Creek are also located on the farm. Being located between routes 322 and 45 east of Boalsburg in a quickly developing area also made Nittany Farms a good candidate for a conservation easement.
Dreibelbis, a fourth-generation Centre County resident, believes that development on the land should be conducted in a systematic fashion, with an eye protecting the most agriculturally productive lands. Dreibelbis says he signed the perpetual easement partly because of his profession. "I am a developer," he says, "and that's not necessarily inconsistent with the conservation of the natural resources in the county."
Dreibelbis
gave up development rights on the land knowing full well that Nittany Farms is
prime place for development. “His actions preserve the headwaters of Spring
Creek for any activity other than its current agriculture uses,” said George
Hildenbrandt, president of Clear Water.
One of Nittany
Farms most unique characteristics is a pond that was built on the land in 1962.
Since this pond empties and fills by a mountain ground water table and not by
surface water, organizations
can easily measure the ground water table. Whenever there is water in the pond,
that means our ground water table is up and in good
shape. However, when the pond is empty, our ground water levels are depleting.
“Protection of the land through easement verifies my interest in the land,” said
Dreibelbis.
An old cemetery at the back of the farm dates back to the late 1700’s. The cemetery belonged to the Upper Spring Creek Presbyterian Church, which was once located there. This easement allows the landowner to continue the traditional uses of the land while at the same time preserving the land for other generations to enjoy.