Introducing Our 42nd Nature Preserve: Bald Mountain
Windmills Above and Watersheds Below: Conservation Teamwork Results in a New 385-Acre Nature Preserve
Media, Pa. (August 8, 2013) – It is early summer at a 385-acre property now known as Bald Mountain, located in the Pocono Plateau. The chattering of migratory songbirds—such as Scarlet Tanagers, Eastern Towhees, and Hermit Thrushes—in the dense woodlands is pierced by the roar of two male black bears as they spar over a female. A spotted salamander wriggles for cover as a Bald Eagle circles effortlessly on a rising current of warm air.
Now, thanks to the joint efforts of Natural Lands Trust and North Branch Land Trust (NBLT), this land will remain unspoiled… forever.
“Natural Lands Trust is thrilled to be able to expand our regional network of nature preserves and to work in partnership with NBLT to do so,” said Molly Morrison, president of Natural Lands Trust. “Since we established our first preserve in the late 1950s, we have been committed to owning land because it is simply the best way to protect an important landscape and ensure it will be well cared for in the future.”
If you look toward to southeast when driving south on the cross-valley expressway in Wilkes-Barre you cannot miss the windmills atop Bald Mountain in Bear Creek Township. The rugged terrain is largely forested; dominant species include red oak, white oak, and red maple. Two state-designated “high quality” streams flow through the property, bordered by native hemlocks and aspens. The property is unique in that it is a transition property between two distinctly different geophysical regions. To the northwest is the Anthracite Valley section of the Valley and Ridge Province and to southeast is Glaciated Pocono Plateau section of the Appalachian Plateau. Also interesting is the fact that the property straddles two massive watersheds. All water to the northwest of the property flows to the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay, and all the water to the southeast flows to the Delaware River and the Delaware Bay.
Early on, NBLT had identified the property as a conservation priority and has been working closely with the landowners and others for several years to find a way to acquire and protect it. Once funding sources were identified, they approached Natural Lands Trust about the possibility of owning and managing the land, which is located a short distance from Natural Lands Trust’s 3,412-acre Bear Creek Preserve.
“The entire staff and Board of Directors of NBLT are grateful to have been part of this wonderful conservation project,” said Paul Lumia, executive director of NBLT. “This conservation effort is a shining example local, regional, and state partners working together to protect those special and scenic natural landscapes that sustain us. Another important piece of northeastern Pennsylvania’s natural heritage has been conserved.”
Like many of Natural Lands Trust’s other nature preserves throughout the region, Bald Mountain Preserve eventually will be open—free-of-charge—to visitors for passive recreation. Since its founding in 1953, Natural Lands Trust has protected more than 100,000 acres of land, including 42 nature preserves that it owns and manages in 13 counties.
Funders for this project include the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources—Community Partnership Program and former landowner Mark Mack.
Celebrating its 60th year, Natural Lands Trust is the region’s foremost land conservation organization and is dedicated to protecting the forests, fields, streams, and wetlands that are essential to the sustainability of life in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Since its founding, Natural Lands Trust has preserved more than 100,000 acres, including 41 nature preserves totaling more than 21,000 acres and 20,000 acres on which it holds conservation easements. For more information, visit www.natlands.org.
The mission of The North Branch Land Trust is to work in partnership with landowners and their communities to conserve the scenic, natural, and working landscapes that sustain us. Since its founding in 1993, NBLT has conserved over 13,200 acres in northeastern Pennsylvania. For more information, visit NBLT at www.nblt.org .