Buy Native Plants this Fall and Support CPC
We’ve partnered with Diakon Wilderness Greenhouse for an online native plant sale—now through October 31st! Embellish your backyard with beautiful native plants, nourish the insects and wildlife that depend on them, and support your local land trust & native plant nursery in the process! A portion of each sale will support the land protection projects of CPC, including the conservation easement we are recording soon for Diakon Wilderness Center! CPC will only get credit if you use the coupon code: $5CPC. Purchased plants are to be picked up at the Wilderness Greenhouse on Fridays and Saturdays between 10am and noon. Attract swarms of butterflies, like this common buckeye, with purple asters. These late-blooming native plants offer critical sources of nectar and pollen for pollinators before the first hard frost. Incorporate some turtlehead, whose flowers produce nectar that contains natural compounds which helps relieve native bees of their intestinal parasites. Plant some prescriptions in your yard! Cultivate native goldenrods and enjoy their vibrant fall flowers while native caterpillars, like this Brown-Hooded Owlet, enjoy snacking on their foliage. Trees are also important hosts for native insects, like the stingless wasp that creates the magnificent pine cone oak galls on the twigs of swamp white oak. Thanks for purchasing native plants to enrich local habitats and for supporting the good work of local non-profits!
CPC Acquires 404 Acres on Peters Mountain
On September 3, 2020, CPC purchased 404 acres of ridge and forest land along Peters Mountain in Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County. The newly acquired parcel adjoins DCNR’s Joe Ibberson Conservation Area and State Gamelands #211, and it contains the historic Victoria Trail. This acquisition is intended for future transfer to adjoining public lands owned by the PA Game Commission (SGL #211) and the National Park Service (Appalachian National Scenic Trail Corridor). This project received critical financial assistance from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Keystone Recreation, Park, and Conservation Fund. It was also supported by a generous donation in value by Flemish Down LLC, former owners committed to protecting Clarks Creek Valley and Peters Mountain. Appalachian Land & Conservation Services, led by Josh First, represented the landowner in this transaction, helped shepherd the transaction, and is Flemish Down’s long-time land manager. With this project, CPC expands the protection of the Peters Mountain landscape, eliminating prospects for new development on the mountain as Dauphin County and Harrisburg continue to grow. It preserves views and recreational opportunities, both hiking and hunting, while protecting forestland, wildlife habitat, and water resources, including a natural spring used by hikers on the Appalachian Trail. The popular Peters Mountain shelter is located on the ridge of the acquired property. Built in 1994, the shelter accommodates up to 20 people and replaced the original Earl Shaffer shelter, which is now in the Appalachian Trail Museum at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Earl Shaffer was the first northbound AT thru-hiker in 1948 and the first southbound thru-hiker in 1965. A natural spring providing a water source to hikers is located down a steep trail of over 300 stone steps below the shelter on the north side. “This is CPC’s second bargain sale project with landowner Flemish Down, a family committed to preserving Clark’s Creek Valley for future generations,” says Anna Yelk, CPC’s executive director. The first project was the 27-acre Bailey’s Grove Fishing Access and Natural Area. Initially donated by Flemish Down in 2010, CPC transferred the property to the PA Fish & Boat Commission. That project opened up one mile of public access to Clarks Creek, a designated High Quality Coldwater Fishery and popular site among anglers and kayakers. Barely 3 miles away lies the current Peters Mountain parcel. Rising 1,000 feet above Clarks Creek, this acquisition will open up 404 acres for public use in perpetuity. “Our family owned and took care of this land since early in the last century. We are happy and proud that, from now on, it will be open to the public, thanks to the forward-thinking work of the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy, the State Game Commission, and the National Park Service. We hope hunters, hikers, nature lovers and bird watchers flock to this land, forever enjoying the beauty of the forest and the majestic views it affords of both Clarks Valley and Powells Valley.” — Michael Blum, Manager, Flemish Down, LLC “I know my parents would have been delighted by this project. From my father laying out maps of Peters mountain on a table, to my mother leading groups of Girl Scouts on the Appalachian Trail, to a family story of my grandmother handing out snake-bite kits to workers up on the mountain, our property on Peters Mountain has been important to my family. Now it can be enjoyed by all for many years to come.” — Annette Alger Cameron Blum, Member, Flemish Down, LLC “This property’s many conservation values add up to an especially high return for the public. Joe Ibberson would have been thrilled about this. Joe was a friend of mine, and long ago he and I had sat together on the northern stretch of the Victorian Trail, on his property that ended up becoming Pennsylvania’s first Conservation Area, and talked about adding this part of Flemish Down to his own public lands conservation legacy. Well, we did it, Joe, thanks to Flemish Down, DCNR, and CPC.” — Josh First, President, Appalachian Land & Conservation Services LLC Pictured above from the left: Anna Yelk (Executive Director, CPC), Josh First (President, Appalachian Land & Conservation Services LLC ), Annette Alger Cameron Blum, and Michael Blum, both principals of Flemish Down LLC. Central PA Conservancy members and volunteers are in the process of completing more acquisitions, transfers, and conservation easements to secure other natural areas and public lands. You can contribute or help by becoming a member. CPC is a 501(c)3 land trust committed to conserving natural resources for the benefit of current and future generations through land acquisition, conservation easements, and outreach. CPC serves Cumberland, Perry, Franklin, Dauphin, and Juniata counties from offices in Carlisle.
Conservation Learning Circle for Women Who Own/Operate Farms in Perry County
Attention Landowners, Farmers, or Agricultural Businesses in Perry County, PA: CPC wants you to know about an upcoming, 2-day Conservation Learning Circle for women who own or operate farms in Perry County, PA. The Learning Circle will be held on Tuesday 9/29/20 (Day 1) and Tuesday 10/27/20 (Day 2). The Conservation Learning Circle is sponsored by the American Farmland Trust in partnership with the Perry County Conservation District. The program allows women who own or operate farms to meet agriculture professionals and have their land questions and needs addressed in a supportive meeting format. The September 29th Conservation Learning Circle will consist of a farm tour at Witmer Farm located in Liverpool, PA. The discussion on October 27th will be hosted at the PSU extension office in New Bloomfield, PA and will include a presentation by CPC leadership. Join us for the Learning Circle this Fall, and please share this information with anyone who can spread the word about this effective and well-received program. We recognize that we may need to cancel this workshop due to the pandemic. Since we don’t know yet, please register for the program; should we need to cancel American Farmland Trust will be in touch with alternative plans for a virtual workshop. You can register for this free event here. We hope to see you at the Women for the Land Conservation Learning Circle!