Hellam Hills Conservation Area Master Plan

Overview

The Lancaster Conservancy began acquiring natural lands in the Hellam Hills area in 2017. The Conservancy has since established two nature preserves consisting of 1,041 acres. Together, the Wizard Ranch Nature Preserve and Hellam Hills Nature Preserve (renamed the Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve in April 2024) compose the Hellam Hills Conservation Area. The primary and secondary goals of the Hellam Hills Conservation Area Master Plan are the protection of the ecological health, function, and integrity of the preserves while also providing passive outdoor recreation opportunities for the public in a way that considers the preserve’s long-term management and maintenance needs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

6 – 7:30 PM

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

INTRODUCTION

Watch Recording

6 – 7:30 PM

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

INITIAL CONCEPTS

Watch Recording

6 – 7:30 PM

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Draft Plan

Watch Recording

6 – 7:30 PM

Wednesday, March 30. 2022

FINAL PLAN

Watch Recording

HELLAM HILLS CONSERVATION AREA MASTER PLAN

The Conservancy is grateful to the hundreds of people who attended the public meetings and provided comment and feedback on the drafts of the Hellam Hills Conservation Area Master Plan. The master plan you can view below is a direct result of the participation and feedback from the community and multiple partners. This plan lays the groundwork for further development and implementation of projects over time. Your continued support of the Conservancy as a donor or a volunteer will allow us to bring this plan to life for the benefit of the community and nature. Thank you again for your valuable input as we move forward with our efforts at this beautiful and unique conservation area.

About the Conservation Area

The Hellam Hills Conservation Area includes approximately 1,041 acres of permanently protected forested natural lands and meadows containing steep slopes and diverse habitats that host an array of rare, threatened, and endangered native plant and animal species and contains several headwaters and first-order streams that flow directly into the Susquehanna River.

In addition to the ecological value of this region, it also serves an important recreational function for it surrounding community. Historically, this area has played a significant role as a regional hub for outdoor recreational and environmental education opportunities, with Wizard Ranch Nature Preserve serving as a camp for the Boy Scouts of America since the 1960s, and former Marietta Gravity Water Company lands providing for informal public use, including hiking, hunting, and fishing.

The Conservancy, recognizing the area’s fragile ecological diversity and irreplaceable natural beauty and its historical use as an outdoor recreational hub, is undertaking a master planning process with the design firm, Simone Collins, that enables us to make thoughtful, transparent and mission-driven decisions to guide the future development of the site for public use to include new passive recreational opportunities and the potential to generate revenue to offset the site’s anticipated land stewardship costs while balancing the Conservancy’s responsibility to protect wildlife habitat and ecosystem function.

Read the Master Plan’s Ecological Report

Regional Context Considerations

With regards to the regional context of the Hellam Hills Conservation Area, it is important to note that it sits within the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) designated Susquehanna Riverlands Conservation Landscape (SRCL). The Susquehanna Riverlands is one of eight DNCR-designated conservation landscapes that includes the scenic and historic Lower Susquehanna River corridor in Lancaster and York Counties in South Central Pennsylvania. The landscape is geographically defined as including all municipalities and boroughs in Lancaster and York Counties that share a border with the Susquehanna River or are enveloped by municipalities that do. The landscape is home to over 16,000 acres of publicly
accessible natural lands.

In addition to being a place, the Susquehanna Riverlands is also a collaborative partnership that includes a constellation of communities, organizations and agencies committed to the mission of protecting, preserving, and stewarding the natural lands along the Lower Susquehanna River, emphasizing connectivity, eco-system health, and sustainable public access. Our partnership’s vision is in ensuring that the natural lands along the Lower Susquehanna River remain protected, stewarded, and connected to each other and their surrounding communities. As part of this collaborative effort, the Conservancy is leading an initiative among partners to develop an Integrated Land Management Plan that facilitates a collaborative approach and regional mindset to land management, enabling better coordination and resource sharing among public lands managers in the corridor. The Master Site Plan planning process will seek to incorporate the this growing group of Integrated Land Management Plan partners.

Read the Integrated Land Management Plan

The Preserve is also nested within the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail corridor, a National Park Service designated National Water Trail that encompasses the entirety of Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay. Furthermore, the area is also embedded within the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, the nation’s 55th National Heritage Area.

The Hellam Hills Conservation Area Master Planning process is made possible with Chesapeake Gateways funding from the National Park Service (NPS) and support through DCNR’s Conservation Landscape program.

Any questions or comments, please contact:
Peter Simone – psimone@simonecollins.com
Sarah Leeper – sleeper@simonecollins.com
Rob Gladfelter – rgladfelter@simonecollins.com