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Southern Alleghenies Conservancy/ Contact: Environmental Results: 5,500 acres and 5 water reservoirs acquired for public access and enjoyment. |
Partnerships Partnerships Acquire and Improve a Five-Reservoir Multi-Use Area
For nearly 100 years, the water reservoirs had been used for water sales, with no public access. Now the area is available for many uses including shoreline fishing, hunting, hiking and boating. The partnership between SAC and CSA was critical in driving the acquisition process. The two-year, $1.5 million grant SAC received from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) for the purchase was the largest grant of its type ever awarded in the Commonwealth. To consummate the purchase, SAC/CSA established partnerships with citizens, civic groups, business associations, sportsmen, state and local government officials and the Cambria and Somerset County Commissioners. Following the property purchase, additional partnerships in the watersheds continue to develop. The Boy Scouts have volunteered to rehabilitate the Pines Recreation Area. The Audubon Society is constructing a nature trail at three of the reservoirs, local townships are working to build parking lots and boat ramps for fishermen and boat users, and Ducks Unlimited is working with CSA to develop waterfowl refuge and nesting areas. The Somerset and Cambria County Conservation Districts continue to lead efforts to reduce abandoned mine drainage in these watersheds. An initiative of this magnitude is generally thought of as beyond the scope of public entities and local citizens. CSA and SAC, however, overcame the odds and will now use the area's water resources to create economic and recreational opportunities to improve the quality of life for current and future generations. "This public acquisition was driven by grassroots
citizens, empowered by local organizations like the Southern Alleghenies
Conservancy and the Cambria-Somerset Authority, enabling them to achieve
this monumental accomplishment." |
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Copyright © 2001, Environmental Fund for Pennsylvania
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