Land Conservation
ClearWater Conservancy's Land Conservation Program seeks to balance the rapid growth of central Pennsylvania with the conservation of important ecological, cultural, and historic places. We work with landowners and managers to determine appropriate conservation methods, including land management recommendations, conservation easements, and land acquisition.
Musser Gap Greenway
ClearWater Conservancy and Penn State University are addressing the need for a safe connection to Musser Gap for pedestrians or bicyclists. Musser Gap is a gateway to Rothrock State Forest purchased by ClearWater Conservancy in 2007 and turned over to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry.
ClearWater
has received grants from the PA Department of Community and Economic
Development, Bikes Belong, and a Kodak American Greenways Award, and Penn State
has received a grant from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources to develop a Musser Gap Greenway to connect Musser Gap with the
neighborhoods across Whitehall Road and beyond to town and campus.
The greenway will start at the Musser Gap parking area, enter adjacent Penn State property, cross State Route 45 and Slab Cabin Run, connect to an existing Penn State farm lane, continue to the new Whitehall Road Regional Park, and finally cross Whitehall Road where it will connect to a heavily populated area of the State College Borough along Blue Course Drive.
In 2007 ClearWater Conservancy purchased Musser Gap, a 423-acre property on Tussey Ridge and turned it over to the state Bureau of Forestry for inclusion into Rothrock State Forest. This exceptional site now serves as a recreational gateway to a whole variety of forest habitats, Natural and Wild Areas, trails, and scenic vistas for outdoor enthusiasts. Check out what Rothrock State Forest has to offer at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/Forestry/stateforests/rothrock.aspx.
From a conservation standpoint, the protection of Musser Gap from a proposed development was critical to you and 35,000 fellow customers of the State College Borough Water Authority. Testing performed during the land acquisition process found that potential pollutants entered into the groundwater system at Musser Gap could travel to the Harter Thomas well fields in as little as two weeks. The conservation of Musser Gap protects the main source of drinking water for the residents of the Centre Region.
Conservation of Musser Gap also saved a portion of the Tussey Mountain Important Bird Area and crucial wildlife habitats highlighted within our Nittany Valley Conservation Action Plan.