MONROE COUNTY, PA (Dec. 16, 2022)—Thanks to grant support from the Open Space Institute (OSI), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has protected 138 acres of prime forestland as an addition to the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
Funding for the acquisition of the property was provided by OSI’s Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund, made possible by the William Penn Foundation. By protecting key forestland along the headwaters of the Delaware River, the Fund seeks to better safeguard the drinking water resources of 15 million residents living in Philadelphia, Trenton, Wilmington, and beyond.
“The Open Space Institute is proud of our role in protecting this land for the residents and wildlife that depend on the Delaware River Watershed,” said Bill Rawlyk, OSI's Mid-Atlantic field coordinator. “Safeguarding the unspoiled forests along the headwaters of the Delaware River is critical to protect drinking water resources for future generations. We applaud the vision and determination of The Nature Conservancy in conserving this land along the Kittatinny Ridge.”
Since its creation in 2014, OSI’s Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund has supported 65 land protection projects that are slated to conserve over 27,500 acres, all of which filter water within the Delaware Basin.
The Kittatinny Ridge runs through Pennsylvania for 185 miles from the Delaware River to the Mason-Dixon Line and is a prominent feature in the Central Appalachian landscape. It is designated by Audubon as a Globally Important Bird Area and serves as one of the Northeast’s premier raptor migration corridors, welcoming thousands of transiting hawks, eagles, and falcons each fall.
The Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2008 to preserve critical habitat for migratory birds and threatened and endangered species. OSI has provided grants to seven projects that have protected over 4,300 for the Refuge.