Conservation
The Ohio River Trail Council (ORTC) has formed a partnership with the Independence Conservancy to conserve open space areas for trails and recreation use and habitat conservation planning. The ORTC Conservation Project preserves habitat areas that are home to sensitive plant and wildlife species. The protection of habitat is often focused on lands that are pristine and are at risk of conversion to urban development or lands that are in need of rehabilitation. The ORTC seeks partnerships with other organizations or individuals interested in conservation and habitat protection.
The State of Pennsylvania is extremely rich in natural resources. The beauty of its beaches, bays, forests and rivers helps to sustain its economy and provides residents with a high quality of life. Pennsylvania ranks 33 out of 50 in total land area. Its 46,058 square miles are easily dwarfed by states like Alaska whose size equals 656,425 square miles; and nearly six Keystone states could fit inside Texas. But in terms of protecting land and conserving its natural resources, Pennsylvania ranks ninth in the nation.
The ORTC mission includes the preservation of Pennsylvania’s rural character, water resources, open space and forests. The ORTC works to preserve the state’s natural areas to guarantee the permanent protection and proper management of land having high intrinsic resource value. With an emphasis on forests, drinking water protection, recreation, and natural heritage and biodiversity, the ORTC works to ensure these resources remain available for future generations.
The LAC program prioritizes parcels of land whose resource value, size, location, are related to the existing greenway system or the planned Ohio River Trail. We ask you to join us in order for the ORTC to conserve and steward lands that support the scenic, recreational and environmental well-being of our partner communities in Allegheny County, Beaver County and its environs. Although our region’s population growth rate remains level, the rate of developing land continues to increase at an unsustainable rate. This unbalance creates greater demands on the public to provide taxes to pay for services required by ever expanding infrastructure. If this trend continues without any effort to protect land, our communities stand to lose economically, and the vital greenspace that contributes so much to our scenic, recreational, educational and environmental wealth. Help us with your support so we can help you. The Ohio River Trail Council accepts donations of cash, property and conservation easements.
Conservation Projects: