8000 Acres

, PA

Contact:
Drew Gilchrist
Regional Director of Land Protection
610-287-3525
info@natlands.org

The Unami Forest is one of the largest remaining forested landscapes in southeastern Pennsylvania, supporting a vast, interconnected mosaic of large blocks of mature forests, rocky outcrops and over 24 miles of well-buffered perennial streams. The high ecological value inherent in this landscape results from an extraordinary combination of size, unique forest and meadow plant communities, interior forest nesting bird species, and high quality streams. It encompasses over 8000 acres in Salford, Upper Salford and Marlborough Townships in Montgomery County and Milford and West Rockhill Townships in Bucks County.

Natural Lands Trust’s involvement in the Unami landscape began in 1972 with the acceptance of an eight acre parcel, known as the Klaber Property, in Milford Township off Rt. 663, on the Hazelbach Creek, a tributary to the Unami Creek.. Our interest in the area was renewed in 1987 with the acquisition of the Craven Property which became our Fulshaw Craeg Preserve. Natural Lands Trust purchased the property at a bargain sale that resulted in our owning 77 acres and holding easements on an additional 26 acres with limited development.

By the 1990’s, both Montgomery and Bucks County were rapidly developing. Faced with this loss of open space and farmland, both counties initiated multi-million dollar open space programs to provide families and farmers who wanted to preserve their land with an option to development. The funds from these programs were used to assist municipalities and land trusts in purchasing land for parks and preserves, or to purchase conservation easements if the landowners wanted to stay on the land while still protecting it. Both the Bucks County and Montgomery County programs designated the Unami Forest as a high priority for preservation. These programs were bolstered by the additional funding from Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the William Penn Foundation.

Initially, Natural Lands Trust’s strategy for preservation was to acquire open land immediately adjoining our Fulshaw Craeg Preserve and to buffer the effects of suburbanization on the preserve area by placing conservation easements on the outlying areas. At the same time, Marlborough and Salford Township acquired important parcels upstream from Fulshaw Craeg on the Ridge Valley Creek, including the White’s Mill and Camp Skymount. The focus of the Trust’s preservation efforts was then extended to connect these large parcels to make a continuous preserved open space along the stream valleys.

In 2000, our land protection effort was boosted when Drew Gilchrist started working full-time on land protection in Montgomery County. At the same time, we also established a strategic partnership with Montgomery County Land Trust. In 2002 and 2003, the two organizations were able to preserve over 15% of the forest in a single deal by placing an easement on the 1,200 acre Musser Scout Reservation in Marlborough Township. Suddenly the preservation of a large portion of the forest in Montgomery County became an achievable goal: we could not only connect properties along stream corridors, but we could also make connections on the ridges between watersheds.

In 2003, Natural Lands Trust was invited by Milford Township and West Rockhill Townships to extend our preservation efforts into Bucks County. Since that time we have placed easements on three properties in Milford Township totaling over 125 acres. We have also initiated land deals with seven other landowners in partnership with the Milford and West Rockhill Townships for over 200 acres on the Hazelbach, Schmoutz, Butter and Ridge Valley Creeks in the Upper Unami Watershed.

Natural Lands Trust is proud of our efforts in the protection of the Unami Forest. To date we have been able to preserve a large portion of the Unami Forest. As of July 2005, the Fulshaw Craeg Preserve has grown to over 220 acres and we have easements on an additional 1500 acres. We also have an additional 500 acres in the preservation pipeline with committed landowners, generous funding agencies and strategic partners to make it happen.

If you are interested in finding out more about land protection options in the Unami Forest, please contact Drew Gilchrist at 610-287-3523 or send him an email.