Schraer Family Conserves 245 Acres of Ecologically Significant Land in Centre County

Haines Township, Centre County, Pa. — April 30, 2026 — ClearWater Conservancy is proud to announce the permanent conservation of 245 acres in Haines Township, Centre County, through a conservation easement with the David and Cynthia Schraer Living Trust. The project protects an exceptional landscape on Shriner Mountain, located adjacent to a Centre County Farmland Trust (CCFT)–preserved farm just east of Aaronsburg in Penns Valley, and includes the Stover Gap Biological Diversity Area—recognized for its maturity, diversity, and county-wide ecological significance.

Schraer Family and ClearWater Staff

The Schraer Family Tract, which has been in the Schraer family since 1971, includes approximately 185 acres of mature and mixed-age forest, 50 acres of agricultural fields, wetlands, headwater streams, and historic farm structures. Dr. Harald Schraer and Dr. Rosemary S. J. Schraer purchased the property during the latter part of their academic careers at Penn State, instilling in their son David a deep appreciation for the land’s natural beauty and scientific value. David carries forward his father’s wish to see the property conserved, reflecting many fond memories of time spent exploring the land.

Since taking ownership in 2012, David and Cindy Schraer—who reside year-round in Alaska—have taken meaningful steps to protect the property by forming a living trust. Working with their children and longtime tenant, caretaker, and land manager Karen Daystar, they have allowed the forest to grow and mature naturally while maintaining a stewardship ethic centered on low-intensity hay production.

“Dave’s dad, Harald Schraer, spent his last years on the farm and often sat at a window, while expressing his deep love of this land, its forest, and its wild inhabitants. He spent time every day in the woods admiring the grandeur of the ancient trees in the forest that had not been disturbed for over 50 years. We look forward to preserving the natural world that Harald Schraer loved and so deeply appreciated on this farm,” said Cindy Schraer.

The property contains 2,067 feet of an unnamed Exceptional Value (EV) tributary to Pine Creek, supporting naturally reproducing trout and contributing cold, clean water to Pine Creek, Elk Creek, Penns Creek, and ultimately the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay. Stover Gap encompasses a 90-acre northern hardwood forest set within a rocky mountain gap, designated by the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program as a Natural Heritage Biodiversity Area of countywide significance due to its exceptionally mature forest structure and species diversity. The conservation easement ensures the protection and continued growth of an unfragmented, maturing forest that provides habitat for numerous plant and animal species.

Conservation of the property also strengthens a regional wildlife corridor linking Bald Eagle State Forest, the Penns Creek Wild Area, the Hook Natural Area, and State Game Lands 295. Together, these connected forested lands contribute to a north–south migration corridor for wildlife and natural communities, improving regional ecological resilience in the face of climate change, forest fragmentation, and habitat loss.

ClearWater Conservancy’s Stover Gap Biological Diversity Area conservation easement was funded through the Open Space Institute’s Appalachian Landscapes Protection Fund, which is made possible with a lead grant from the Doris Duke Foundation and with significant support from the Lyndhurst Foundation, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, Riverview Foundation, Tucker Foundation, Lookout Foundation, Footprint Foundation, Anonymous Foundation (2), as well as other foundations and individuals.

“The Open Space Institute is pleased to help protect this mature forest, which strengthens connections among nearby conserved lands and supports species movement as the climate changes,” said Bill Rawlyk, OSI’s Mid-Atlantic Senior Program Manager. “The conservation easement held by ClearWater Conservancy will prevent clearing and guide long-term forest management to sustain diversity and carbon storage. We’re grateful to the Schraer family for their longstanding care for this land and for ensuring its protection for generations to come.”

The conservation easement was approved by ClearWater Conservancy’s Land Conservation and Stewardship Committee and Board of Directors in November 2025 and closed on December 23, 2025.

“This project exemplifies the conservation values we strive to protect—clean water, intact forests, productive farmland, and scenic landscapes,” said ClearWater Conservancy representatives. “We’re grateful to the Schraer family for their vision and commitment to conserving their farm and this ecologically significant landscape,” said Ryan Hamilton, ClearWater’s Land Conservation Manager.

Together, these partners have ensured that the Schraer Family Tract—and the remarkable Stover Gap—will remain protected in perpetuity for clean water, biodiversity, working lands, scenic beauty, and the benefit of communities downstream.

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About ClearWater Conservancy

ClearWater Conservancy is a nationally accredited land trust and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to conserve and restore the natural resources of central Pennsylvania through land conservation, water resources stewardship, and environmental outreach in the community.

About Open Space Institute

The Open Space Institute is a national leader in land conservation and efforts to make parks and other protected land more welcoming for all. Since 1974, OSI has partnered in the protection of more than 2.5 million at-risk and environmentally sensitive acres in the eastern U.S. OSI’s land protection promotes clean air and water, improves access to recreation, provides wildlife habitat, strengthens communities, and combats the devastating impacts of extreme weather.