Anna Yelk is our new Board President!
Briefly, tell us what brought you to CPC. Hello again, CPC Friends! I’m honored to have been elected board president and to return as an active leader with a renewed commitment to CPC’s land protection and stewardship mission. Many of you know me from my previous role as the organization’s executive director from 2012 to 2022. I hope to draw on that experience and institutional knowledge to provide stability, leadership, and support as CPC enters its next phase ofgrowth under the direction of Executive Director Peggy Fogarty. As board president, I look forward to focusing on strong governance and sound policy to ensure the organization’s long-term sustainability and effectiveness. What are a few things you’d like to accomplish as board president? In the area of board leadership, I plan to provide training on Land Trust Standards and Practices, encourage active engagement and leadership succession, strengthen our committee structure, and help develop comprehensive organizational policies that support efficient operations and responsible growth. On the land protection front, my goal is to help strengthen CPC’s strategies and increase the pace of conservation by expanding our funding capacity. This means working closely with municipalities, counties, state and federal agencies, private foundations, and major donors to address the urgent demand to permanently protect our region’s most valuable natural resource lands. In the face of unprecedented growth and development pressure, conservation is no longer simply a “nice to have”—it is a “must have.” We must continue to build our resources so we can protect the best of what remains. What project are you most proud of from your previous work with CPC? Protecting the Flemish Down/Peters Mountain parcels stands out as a highlight, with the Letort Spring Garden Preserve as a close second. During the challenges of the COVID era, we worked diligently to complete a bargain-sale acquisition with Flemish Down, permanently protecting 404 acres along the ridge and south face of Peters Mountain in Dauphin County. This property includes the iconic Peters Mountain shelter, an accessible natural spring, and land crossed by the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. It also borders thousands of acres already conserved and managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. This project represents what a land trust can achieve at its best. We partnered with a conservation-minded landowner, subdivided and transferred 141 acres to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and are currently working with the National Park Service on a land exchange on the remaining acreage that will permanently protect the Scott Farm in Cumberland County. Also located along the Appalachian Trail, the Scott Farm serves as a vital conservation hub, offering a stopover for hikers, a designated point on the Conodoguinet Water Trail, and a base for trail maintenance and volunteer training. Looking ahead, we have exciting plans for the Scott Farm, including a future transfer to the Keystone Trails Association and a comprehensive site redesign that will provide facilities and storage for local conservation partners. It’s a project with lasting regional impact, and CPC is proud to play a central role in making it possible.
Remembering Judge Sylvia Rambo
Over one year ago, a distinguished CPC member and conservation easement landowner, the Honorable Sylvia H. Rambo, passed away peacefully at the age of 88. Judge Rambo served with distinction for 45 years as a federal judge for Pennsylvania’s Middle District, having been nominated by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. Her tenure included presiding over cases arising from the Three Mile Island nuclear incident, as well as many other notable civil and criminal federal matters. Beyond her remarkable legal and judicial legacy, Judge Rambo cared deeply about her local community and the importance of conserving land in perpetuity. In 2017, she contacted CPC to explore protecting her 54-acre forested property near Barnstable Road in Carlisle. Because her land adjoined another 50-acre property already conserved by CPC, the two easements together now protect a substantial stretch of woodland and open space bordering urban Carlisle—serving as a corridor for wildlife and supporting an interconnected network of equine trails. Although both properties remain privately owned and have since passed to successor landowners, CPC continues to hold the conservation easements. These easements permanently prohibit subdivision and development while upholding critical conservation values. Judge Rambo’s commitment to land conservation extended beyond her lifetime. She named CPC as a partial beneficiary of her estate, along with several other local charitable organizations to which she was deeply committed. We are profoundly grateful for this generous gift, which will strengthen CPC’s capacity to grow, protect, and steward the conservation lands entrusted to our care. You can read more about Judge Rambo’s story here.
Central Pennsylvania Conservancy selects new Executive Director
The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Peggy Fogarty has been selected as Executive Director of Central Pennsylvania Conservancy effective July 28, 2025. Peggy Fogarty brings over two decades of leadership in nonprofit management, program development, and mission-driven strategy across Pennsylvania’s environmental and agricultural sectors. A passionate advocate for conservation, Peggy’s commitment to land stewardship is deeply rooted in her personal history. Her grandparents sold a large tract of land in the 1960s that became part of what is now the Appalachian Trail in Dauphin County. Their cabin beside the trail instilled in her a lifelong love for mountain views, birds, trees, wildflowers, and waterways that define our region. Peggy has built a career guiding businesses and organizations that prioritize people, planet, and prosperity. Her experience spans organic farming, energy efficiency, and partnerships with conservation agencies. She has helped hundreds of agricultural entrepreneurs, from small meat processors to produce growers and shellfish farmers, navigate start-up and growth through strategic planning and capacity building. She has successfully led and supported nonprofits in developing internal systems that strengthen effectiveness, improve accountability, and promote transparency to sustain mission-driven impact. Peggy has been instrumental in bringing organizational vision and missions to life by listening, empowering, and uniting people to achieve common goals. Her leadership style emphasizes participatory governance and cross-functional team building, qualities she believes are essential for scaling the mission and infrastructure of the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy. She holds a Master of Science in Family & Consumer Sciences from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies, Anthropology, and Art from Rutgers University. Central Pennsylvania Conservancy is proud to welcome Peggy as its next Executive Director, confident in her ability to lead the organization into its next chapter of growth, collaboration, and conservation impact.
Celebration of the Letort Prints Available
We are celebrating two major milestones at the Letort Spring Garden Preserve. 2025 marks the 10-year anniversary of the protection of the Letort Spring Garden Preserve. This 40+ acre property is home to critical species in south-central Pennsylvania habitat and holds a rich cultural and natural history. We are grateful to steward a unique property that the public can enjoy. In 2024, we completed a multi-year accessibility project that includes a new ADA-compliant parking lot and paved trail, which runs past the Nationally Registered Melester Barn. Accessible bird feeders, an ADA-compliant picnic table, and benches have been installed near the Barn and along the improved path. Former farm infrastructure has been repurposed into two new observation platforms that were installed along the trail, offering an accessible view to the meadows and wetlands. For several years, our Land Stewardship Specialist Jesse Price has been conducting ecological restoration at the Letort Spring Garden Preserve which included native plant restoration & planting, invasive plant management and wildlife habitat improvements. Additional enhancements to the Preserve will continue throughout 2025 and include more native plantings, trail maps, picnic tables and benches, bird feeders and viewing amenities, and educational and interpretive signage. In April we hosted a “Celebration of the Letort” Weekend where we offered free educational events to the public to commemorate these milestones. As part of this event, we commissioned Paige Setchell to create a piece of artwork that captured the Letort. To help fund our land protection and stewardship efforts, we are selling prints of this commission artwork. > PURCHASE PRINTS HERE<< We are offering prints in three sizes: $10: 5×7 print $20: 11×17 print $30: 18×24 print All proceeds will go towards our mission to acquire, preserve, and protect land in south-central Pennsylvania. > PURCHASE PRINTS HERE<< In the comment section, please add “Letort Artwork”. Prints can be picked up at the office on Tuesdays & Thursdays 10:00am – 2:00pm. Prints can be mailed upon request for an additional fee.* When you support Central Pennsylvania Conservancy, you support the protection of natural lands in south-central Pennsylvania for generations to come. Thank you for your support- you make a world of a difference!
A Year in Review – 2024 Annual Report
Thank you our donors and volunteers for their support in 2024. We look forward to working with you in 2025!
Are you a PA state employee or know someone who is? Read on!
PA state employees can contribute a portion of their pay to a non-profit organization of their choice through the SECA (State Employee Combined Appeal) program. We are proud to announce that CPC is now eligible to receive these contributions. If you would like to help us protect land and expand public outdoor recreation in south-central Pennsylvania, please consider choosing CPC and/or sharing this message with someone who might through the SECA program from now until October 27th. For more information, please visit https://www.seca.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx CPC is listed under United Way of Cumberland County, and our code is 4417-0041. Thank you for your support! -The team at Central Pennsylvania Conservancy
Check out our 2022 Annual Report and seasonal newsletters!
Our 2022 Annual Report is now available for viewing on our website, along with the first two editions of our new seasonal newsletter. Click each image below to open the document in a new tab, or access them at this link.
Join us at Spring Garden Gallery: A Celebration of the Arts and Conservation!
In collaboration with Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters, join Central Pennsylvania Conservancy on Sunday, June 12 from 12-3 pm at the Letort Spring Garden Preserve in Carlisle, PA for art and music, food and community in an unforgettable, idyllic setting. Expect delicious local catering from The Sweet Botanist, lively conversation and connection, old time bluegrass tunes from Charm City Junction, and gorgeous paintings Artwork will be sold with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the conservation mission of Central PA Conservancy. For a registration fee of $35, you can enjoy all of these delights as we celebrate the start of summer together. We hope to see you there! Register on the event page here.
2021 Ironmaster’s Challenge 15k and 50k Trail Race Event Photos
This past Sunday, the annual Ironmaster’s Challenge 15k and 50k Trail Race was held at Pine Grove Furnace State Park and Michaux State Forest. Hundreds of racers from near and far showed great endurance and stellar attitudes as they challenged themselves for the finishline at the Ironmaster’s Mansion among towering trees, rocky outcrops, rushing waters and historic buildings for an event they won’t soon forget. With weather that held perfectly around 70 degrees with some cloud coverage and a jovial mood among all, 2021’s challenge is one for the books. Thank you to everyone who came out and enjoyed a fantastic day with us at Pine Grove Furnace State Park–participants, volunteers, family, and friends. Photos by Mike Lomma captured the spirit of the day! Enjoy these photos of the event and check back soon for more uploads.
Support the Match Madness Campaign!
Making a donation of stock is an easy and meaningful way to advance important programs and services in our community. Gifting appreciated stock that has been held for more than one year to a charitable organization may provide a valuable way to avoid paying capital gains tax on the increase in value. It’s an easy, tax-smart way to give. Plus, it may increase your potential charitable deduction. Always consult your personal tax advisor for individual tax advice. During the Match Madness campaign, the Partnership for Better Health is accepting gifts of stock to benefit participating organizations like Central Pennsylvania Conservancy Instructions for your broker to make the stock transfer are shared below. Please make sure Central Pennsylvania Conservancy is listed as the designation for the gift: 100% of your stock contribution will be received by our organization, plus a portion of the matching gift fund. Donations must be made through the Partnership’s donation page: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E206321&id=10 Please consider a gift today! As you may know, CPC has been active since 1982 with a mission to acquire, preserve, and protect local land and natural resources in South-Central Pennsylvania. We currently steward 5 preserves and 30 conservation easement properties while initiating new protection projects each year to save critical lands from future development, secure open space and habitat, protect high-quality streams, preserve working farms and healthy forests, and open public access to nature for all. Proceeds support our spring launch of the Letort Spring Garden Preserve restoration initiative. We’re starting the first phase of ecological restoration to bring the site back to the flora and fauna that James Letort may have encountered in the 1720’s. We’re rehabilitating the historic bank barn and springhouse listed currently on the National Register of Historic Places. We’re excited to keep expanding public access to the preserve and to add informative signs along our trails. Show your support for this work with a donation this month–we thank you in advance for your generosity! Here are a few more details to consider while you ponder a gift: *The easiest way to give is online HERE.* You can mail in a check to: Partnership for Better Health 274 Wilson Street Carlisle, PA 17013. *All checks must be made payable to Partnership for Better Health, noting Central Pennsylvania Conservancy in the memo line of the check.