Milestone Reached in Preservation of Unami Forest

Protection of West Rockhill property puts Unami Forest conservation effort over the 2,000 acre mark in Montgomery and Bucks Counties.

Natural Lands Trust has preserved 74 acres in West Rockhill Township, Bucks County through an agreement known as a conservation easement. With this latest project, Natural Lands Trust has now preserved more than a quarter of the 8,000-acre Unami Forest, a wooded landscape spanning four townships in northwestern Bucks and northeastern Montgomery Counties. In the early 1990’s, the organization identified the forest as one of the largest remaining in southeastern Pennsylvania and designated it as a high priority for conservation.

“The Unami Forest is an oasis of ecological health and diversity,” noted Molly Morrison, president of Natural Lands Trust. “Landscapes with such rich environmental, cultural, and recreational assets are increasingly rare in this region and we are grateful to the many landowners, public officials and community leaders who have been our partners in preserving so much of this remarkable area.”

Owned by Donald Berger, the 74-acre West Rockhill parcel is situated in the northwestern corner of Unami Forest along Route 309. Under the conservation easement, the property will remain in private ownership but the majority of the land is permanently protected from future development.

The predominantly wooded property includes a mixture of wetlands and meadows at the headwaters of the Bitter and Butter Creeks, both major tributaries to Unami Creek. Diabase rock forms a ridge and small network of caves along the southern edge of the property, offering shelter to a number of wildlife species.

The Unami Forest has been designated an Important Bird Area by Pennsylvania Audubon and is one of Natural Lands Trust’s highest priority focus areas in eastern Pennsylvania. Preserved lands in the Forest to date include the 1,200-acre Musser Scout Reservation, Natural Lands Trust’s 300-acre Fulshaw Craeg Preserve and 26 private properties under conservation easement.

Preservation of the Berger property was made possible by generous support from the landowner, West Rockhill Township, and the Buck County Natural Areas Program.