Campaign Goal One

Protect

Some lands are so beautiful, so rare, and so natural that they must be protected for all to enjoy.

$11 million to reach 10,000 acres of natural lands protected

The Lancaster Conservancy Board has set a goal to reach 10,000 acres of natural land acquired and protected by 2025, almost double the amount of land we had preserved to date in 2015. This is a huge and expensive undertaking.

We must be tenacious, because the compet­ing interests are tenacious. To accomplish this goal we need private gifts of at least $11 million toward acquisition costs. Land values continue to increase across Lancaster County and along the Susquehanna River faster than inflation.

The Lancaster Conservancy has a strong track record of success in land protection. As an accredited land trust we meet the highest standards of efficiency and accountability in our field. We are able to leverage generous private donations to receive public and foun­dation funding toward land acquisition costs.

Priorities for Land Protection

These are some of the critical factors we look at when choosing where to make investments.

Priority 1

Connect

We seek natural lands that connect our existing preserves. By creating larger tracts we will be establishing interior forests where more species can thrive. These connections become pollinator corridors that also allow for more interesting hiking opportunities. Fragile ecosystems are strengthened when fragments come together.

Opportunities include the protecting the corridor of land between between Clark and Kellys Run, which would create a contiguous landscape of thousands of acres.

Priority 2

Expand

We look for opportunities that expand our existing nature preserves like additions to our largest preserve Welsh Mountain. Some of our nature preserves are small tracts acquired or donated years ago and it’s important to build them into a viable refuge that allows our animals and insects to thrive.

Priority 3

Create

Over the last 20 years, government has allowed many water and power companies to divest of their natural lands. These large tracts, such as within the Hellam Hills Conservation Area, offer unique opportunities to create new nature preserves that expand protected open spaces for our community to enjoy.

Some recent opportunities to create new nature preserves include acquisitions at Speedwell Forge, Mill Creek Falls, Conewago Creek, and Reist.

Data Based Decisions

The Conservancy developed a science based system that uses data from local, state and federal sources to identify which critical tracts will provide the greatest public and environmental benefit. It analyzes water resources—streams, rivers, wetlands, springs, and seeps. It provides a score for land with the rarest and most important native plants and animal communities. We then use this data to preserve land that aligns with these priorities. This process is critical because we can’t feasibly save all the land available for acquisition. We must ensure we’re using our resources and your investment strategically.

Proactive vs. Reactive

In the past when the Conservancy found a tract of land for sale, we raced around trying to raise the money to protect it. But the community lost critical tracts as a result. A resource-rich property can be sold in just a few days.

The Conservancy needs the ability to move quickly to prevent critical parcels from being lost forever. This campaign will ensure that the Conservancy can be proactive and focused, and that we will not miss key opportunities.

We Need Your Help

Gifts of all sizes are needed, and every gift will make a difference in this $21 million fundraising campaign. Gifts can be made in many forms, including cash, gifts of stock/bonds/mutual funs, personal property, and real estate. Commitments may be paid over a period of up to five years and you may augment your current gift with a new or increased planned/estate gift.

For more information on how to get involved in this campaign please contact
Fritz Schroeder, SR VP of Community Impact, 717-392-7891 x210
fschroeder@lancasterconservancy.org

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