“We are honored to serve as the permanent steward St. John’s Green and welcome it to our region’s growing network of protected lands,” said Allegheny Land Trust President & CEO Carrie Gilbert. “This green space preserves valuable urban habitat, supports natural stormwater absorption and – most importantly – fosters resilience and well-being in the heart of the neighborhood.”

The site’s history as a place of community care dates back more than a century. Originally developed as St. John’s Lutheran Home for the Aged in 1893, the campus grew over the following decades to include a hospital, maternity ward, emergency services, and a nursing school established in 1901. For nearly 100 years, the property served generations of residents through health care, education, and community connection before Pittsburgh Mercy Health Systems relocated services and closed the campus in the 1990s. Following a devastating fire in 1999, the remaining structures were ultimately demolished in the early 2000s.

Even after the buildings were gone, the importance of the site to the surrounding community remained. In 2016, Pittsburgh Water’s “Green First Plan” brought together the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Brighton Heights Citizens Federation, and Allegheny Land Trust to reimagine the property as a community green space that could also serve as critical green stormwater infrastructure. Today, the site continues its legacy of service in a new form: a permanently protected public green space that supports neighborhood connection, environmental resilience, recreation, and access to nature for the surrounding community.

“Collaboration was key in transforming this land into a space that both honors its deep community and serves the needs of future generations,” Gilbert said. “Today, St. John’s Green offers neighbors a place to gather, reflect, recreation, and reconnect with nature, while strengthening the environmental resilience of the community around it.”

The grand opening event will feature a ribbon cutting ceremony, programming along the newly installed trails, family-friendly activities and opportunities to connect with neighbors. Attendees will also have the chance to meet ALT staff, key leaders and volunteers who passionately contributed to the St. John’s Green project.

Speakers during the ribbon cutting ceremony will include Pennsylvania State Representative Emily Kinkead, Councilman Bobby Wilson, Brighton Heights Citizens Federation Board President Nicholas Petrillo, ALT President & CEO Carrie Gilbert, St. John’s Nurses Alumni Association President Diane Meister, and two students from the nearby Morrow School.

“Brighton Heights Citizens Federation is thrilled to see our community’s vision come to life,” said Nicholas Petrillo, President of the Brighton Heights Citizens Federation. “Many neighbors have a rich history with this space, and we’re excited to get to share it in a new way.”

Allegheny Land Trust invites the public to join the festivities and discover how urban green spaces like St. John’s Green contribute to a healthier, more vibrant Pittsburgh.

For event information and registration, visit: bit.ly/stjohnsopen

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For Immediate Release

Pittsburgh, PA – The Pittsburgh Penguins partnered with Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) to offset the team’s carbon footprint dating back to the 2024-25 season with the purchase and retirement of locally generated forest carbon credits. The transaction was facilitated by EQT Corporation in support of the Penguins Pledge sustainability initiative.

The credits were generated from forested lands permanently protected and stewarded by ALT in southwestern Pennsylvania. Certified through City Forest Credits, the credits represent verified carbon captured, stormwater absorbed and air quality improved through conserved forests across the region. Once purchased and retired on behalf of the Penguins, the credits are no longer available for sale.

By partnering with ALT, the Penguins are addressing a global climate challenge while directly investing in forests local to the communities where their fans live and work. The transaction connects international climate responsibility with measurable local impact.

“Protecting forests is one of the most effective climate strategies we have,” said Carrie Gilbert, ALT President & CEO. “By protecting forests and quantifying their climate benefits, we’re creating locally rooted solutions that address global challenges while improving quality of life across our region.”

What Is A Carbon Credit? A carbon credit represents one metric ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) that has been removed from the atmosphere or prevented from being released. Forests naturally absorb and store carbon. Through third-party certification, the stored carbon in forests can be measured, verified and issued as credits. When an organization purchases and retires a credit, it uses that verified carbon storage to balance its own emissions as part of a broader sustainability strategy.

A Local Climate Solution, Rooted In Place ALT generated carbon credits by acquiring forested land for permanent conservation and stewardship to benefit the public in perpetuity. The credits in this transaction originate from ALT’s successful permanent protection of the following lands:

• Buena Vista Heights Conservation Area (155 acres, conserved in 2020, Elizabeth Township, Allegheny County)
• Buerkle Woodlands Conservation Area (64 acres, conserved in 2022, Sewickley Hills Borough and Ohio Township, Allegheny County)
• Glade Run Lake Conservation Project (53 acres, conserved in 2022, Middlesex Township, Butler County – ownership transferred to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission)

These lands contribute to long-term carbon storage, air quality improvements, watershed protection, habitat conservation and public access to green space.

To qualify, ALT completes a rigorous application process that includes a forest inventory, carbon baseline analysis and a third-party verification. The credits reflect the real carbon sequestered from permanent land protection and active stewardship. Through the program, ALT holds ongoing responsibility to monitor these places for forty years, even after the credits are retired.

“At EQT, we believe meaningful environmental stewardship begins in the communities where we live and work,” said Mike Starck, Head of New Ventures at EQT Corporation. “Facilitating this investment connects EQT’s and the Penguins’ Net Zero partnership with permanently protected forests here in southwestern Pennsylvania. By supporting locally generated, third-party verified carbon credits, we’re helping translate sustainability goals into measurable benefits for our region, strengthening forests, improving air and water quality and delivering lasting value for local communities.”

While many carbon markets involve distant projects, this transaction hyper-focuses investment in the Pittsburgh region. The Penguin’s purchase reinforces that global climate solutions can be enacted locally. Through its partnership with the Penguins, EQT is helping to align corporate sustainability leadership with tangible, regional impacts that strengthen forests visited and enjoyed by local community members.

“We’re grateful to the Pittsburgh Penguins and EQT for proactively supporting the environment right at home,” Gilbert said. “This partnership shows how we can come together to create measurable impact for both people and the planet.”

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“We are thrilled to be able to expand Dead Man’s Hollow, a place that holds deep meaning for this community and for the many people who experience it from the trail,” said Carrie Gilbert, ALT President & CEO. “Protecting this land ensures that natural beauty, quiet refuge, and ecological value of the Hollow will continue to welcome people for generations.”

The first parcel of Dead Man’s Hollow was protected in 1994, making it ALT’s very first successful conservation project. Since that initial purchase, ALT has collaborated with the boroughs of Liberty, Lincoln and Elizabeth, along with local leadership, neighbors and trail advocates, to grow the Hollow into the 460-acre green space it is today.

Today, the Hollow offers more than eight miles of sustainable trails, hosts a tributary of the Youghiogheny River called “Dead Man’s Run”, contains the popular “Catfish Pond” and holds a 2017 designation as a “Wild Plant Sanctuary” through Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Permanent conservation of this land was made possible thanks to support from the Mon/Yough Trail Council (MYTC), the Sierra Club and many dedicated community members and trail users. MYTC stewards 15 miles of the GAP trail and was thrilled both to be involved and to learn of the success in expanding the Hollow in this corridor.

“The Boston Trail Access is one of the most heavily used trailheads on the GAP,” MYTC Treasurer Tim Banfield said. “These conservation efforts will benefit thousands of trail users who frequent this section every year, whether to access Dead Man’s Hollow or continue on the GAP towards Pittsburgh.”

This newly protected land further enhances the benefits of Dead Man’s Hollow by providing a natural buffer along the GAP trail and Youghiogheny River. Towering Sycamores and other floodplain trees offer shade, scenic beauty and vital wildlife habitat, while also helping absorb stormwater, sequester carbon and filter pollutants to strengthen the health and resilience of the river corridor.

“Dead Man’s Hollow is a cherished natural area where neighbors and trail users visit to tune into the natural world,” Gilbert added. “Whether someone is hiking the trails, attending on of our programs, listening for birds or simply sitting quietly among the trees, this land offers something restorative. Being able to protect and expand that experience is a great honor.”

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Brighton Heights, Pittsburgh, PA – On Saturday, October 25, 2025, Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) invites the community, local media and conservation champions to attend a native species planting at St. John’s Green – the site of the former St. John’s Hospital in the City of Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood.

This volunteer planting marks a major milestone in the transformation of the former hospital site into a vibrant green space serving as both a community gathering place and an active, green stormwater infrastructure site in the City of Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood. 

Those attending the tree planting will plant native trees, shrubs and wildflowers to help rewild the blighted land. To get to the planting areas, attendees will walk the newly formed trail systems around the site’s new rainwater meadow, rain garden and community gathering areas. 

“We’re grateful to have reached this point in the project, thanks to our partnership with the Brighton Heights Citizens Federation and other community leaders’ years of work,” ALT project manager Alyson Fearon said. “This planting event isn’t just about trees — it’s about restoring land, capturing stormwater to promote community resiliency and investing in place-making and hope in the heart of Brighton Heights.” 

After the hospital site was vacated in 1997, Brighton Heights Citizens Federation, the URA, and other community leadership and development groups worked hard to ensure its future would serve the neighborhood. ALT was invited to the table to explore the land’s use as permanent green space; after all, neighbors had begun using the rewilded space as a local hangout and cut-through path between streets. 

Now, ALT has protected the land, surveyed the community and begun implementing initiatives outlined in the community-informed green space and stormwater management plan. The site has seen significant construction activity this summer and will be symbolically opened for neighbor exploration during this native species planting.

The post Celebrating Nature’s Return to the City: Planting Event Marks Near-Completion of St. John’s Green Project  appeared first on Allegheny Land Trust.

For Immediate Release

Indiana Township, PA – At the end of March 2025, Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) purchased and successfully completed the 266-acre Deer Creek Conservation Project in Indiana Township directly adjacent to Emmerling Community Park, along Deer Creek and host to one mile of the Rachel Carson Trail. Ownership was immediately transferred to the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) for permanent conservation and management that supports wildlife habitat and wildlife focused recreation.

“We’re excited that our hard work with partners, community leaders, and neighbors resulted in the successful completion of this effort,” ALT Interim CEO Emilie Rzotkiewicz said. “Now this land, including one mile of the Rachel Caron Trail, will be protected for the benefit of generations to come.”

The Deer Creek Conservation Project now expands Emmerling Community Park to create 325-acre greenway. Through its permanent conservation, this land will conserve the quality of the Deer Creek – a PA Fish & Boat Commission stocked waterway – by continuing to absorb 231.12 million gallons of rainwater annually and will ensure maintained air quality by annually sequestering 1.13 million pounds of carbon and removing 20,000 pounds of other pollutants.

“In developed areas, where there often is decreasing wildlife habitat and growing numbers of people, conserving lands for wildlife and providing opportunities for the public to get out and enjoy it both are critically important,” said PGC Executive Director Steve Smith. “As a state game lands, the Deer Creek Conservation Project will be perpetually protected, checking both these boxes.”

The project received letters of support from PA State Senator Lindsey M. Williams, PA State Representative Mandy Steele, Indiana Township and the Rachel Carson Trail Conservancy (RCTC). More than 180 community members helped raise awareness and funds to match state level grants. PGC bolstered the project with a letter of support and a commitment letter to provide funding and assume ownership and stewardship once ALT completed the acquisition process.

“The RCTC has worked for years to find a way to protect this beautiful tract and is grateful to the ALT, the PGC, DCNR and the hiking community for this wonderful achievement. The Rachel Carson Trail was opened exactly 50 years ago and we’re looking forward to working with the PGC to ensure the trail continues to be a valuable regional asset for many decades to come,” said RCTC vice president Steve Mentzer.

PGC’s survey crew will begin marking the boundaries and develop parking areas to allow for better public access to the property.

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PROJECT LINK

https://alleghenylandtrust.org/deercreek/

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ABOUT ALLEGHENY LAND TRUST Allegheny Land Trust has helped local people save local land in the Pittsburgh region since 1993, and now conserves more than 4,000 acres across 41 municipalities. ALT’s mission is to conserve and care for local land for the health and well-being of future generations, and it envisions a resilient region with abundant green space that is easily accessible and recognized as essential to the quality of life for all.

ABOUT THE PA GAME COMMISSION For more than 100 years, the Game Commission has managed the Commonwealth’s wildlife resources for all Pennsylvanians. Its mission is to manage and protect wildlife and their habitats while promoting hunting and trapping for current and future generations, and it envisions being recognized and respected as the leader in innovative and proactive stewardship of wildlife and their habitats.

ABOUT RACHEL CARSON TRAIL CONSERVANCY The Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), volunteer-based organization dedicated to the development, protection, and promotion of hiking, biking, and walking trails throughout western Pennsylvania. The goals of the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy include raising awareness of the benefits of community trails, getting more people interested in physical activities, getting more people to experience the beauty of our region and the natural world, and helping people see our region as active and vibrant. Join us in our efforts and help make a difference.

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For Immediate Release

Pittsburgh, PA – In celebration of Earth Day 2025, Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) and CannonDesign are releasing plans for a brand-new environmental education mobile learning lab called “Nature On Wheels” that will operate in the greater Pittsburgh region.

“Our education team prides ourselves on providing all-ages nature-based programs in classrooms, at community centers, online and – of course – on our lands; this variety of locations has allowed many in the region to come learn with us. Now, Nature On Wheels will allow us to bring our programming to even more of our neighbors to increase access for additional learners,” Senior Director of Education & Curriculum Julie Travaglini said.

Nature On Wheels is comprised of a hybrid truck that will pull ALT’s custom-designed, modular trailer. The trailer will be outfitted with interactive learning elements that engages learners of all ages with evolving and adaptable programming tailored to the age of a given audience, the program topic and/or the season.

The mobile learning lab will bring hands-on, all ages programs to communities across the Pittsburgh region at school events, camps, community festivals, conferences and like events.

The build-out and design of Nature On Wheels was led by CannonDesign, a global architecture design firm with an office in Pittsburgh. CannonDesign chose ALT’s Nature On Wheels to be a 2025 “Open Hand Studio” project; Open Hand Studio is CannonDesign’s public interest design arm that partners with nonprofits to advance important missions across education, health, economic development, racial and social equity and beyond.

“This is exactly the kind of project we look for at Open Hand Studio — scalable, replicable and built on strong collaboration. Allegheny Land Trust is doing incredible work to connect people of all ages to nature and inspire education about our planet. It’s been a phenomenal experience for the design team, and we’re excited to see the impact this will create in Pittsburgh and beyond,” said Maggie Bailey, Open Hand Studio of CannonDesign leader.

The design process was funded by American Eagle Outfitters Foundation, Arconic Foundation, Benedum Foundation, CannonDesign, Grable Foundation, HDR Inc., Rivers of Steel and the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club. A steering committee helped guide ALT and CannonDesign in the planning process.

ALT will now seek implementation funding to bring the programs to learners across the region. Once Nature On Wheels is built, interested parties can contact ALT to book a Nature On Wheels visit.

“Nature On Wheels will allow us to take nature directly into communities that may not have, historically, had access to our programs. We can bring learning directly to communities who may need it the most,” Travaglini said. “We look forward to meeting our learners of all ages where they are – both physically and educationally.”

For more information and future updates, visit:

https://alleghenylandtrust.org/nature-on-wheels/

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For Immediate Release

Indiana Township, PA – In an exciting development for local conservation, Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) and the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) have joined forces to protect the 280-acre Deer Creek Conservation Project in Indiana Township adjacent to Emmerling Community Park and encompassing a scenic mile of the Rachel Carson Trail.

PGC bolstered the project with a commitment letter to provide funding and assume ownership and stewardship once ALT has completed the acquisition process.

“Conserving this land will help maintain the water quality of Deer Creek, protect the integrity of the Rachel Carson Trail and conserve critical woodlands adjacent to Indiana Township’s Emmerling Park,” said Christopher J. Beichner, President & CEO of ALT. “Our collaboration with PGC brings us a major step closer to conserving this significant land forever.”

The benefits of conserving this land are many, including:

• Expand access to recreation activities, such as: hunting, hiking, biking, birding and more
• Enhance the community’s scenic beauty and rural character by balancing intense development pressures with thoughtful conservation
• Preserve and buffer area around the beloved Rachel Carson Trail
• Preserve the high water quality of the Deer Creek Watershed, which is stocked by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission
• Proactively address community and regional resiliency by:
• Absorbing 231.12 million gallons of rainwater annually to mitigate flooding
• Sequestering 1.13 million pounds of carbon and 20,000 pounds of other pollutants annually to mitigate climate change and cleanse the air
• Create a 339-acre greenway by expanding upon Emmerling Park

“In developed areas, where there often is decreasing wildlife habitat and growing numbers of people, conserving lands for wildlife and providing opportunities for the public to get out and enjoy it both are critically important,” said PGC Executive Director Steve Smith. “As a state game lands, the Deer Creek Conservation Project will be perpetually protected, checking both these boxes.”

In addition to a letter from PGC, the project has letters of support from PA State Senator Lindsey M. Williams, PA State Representative Mandy Steele, Indiana Township and the Rachel Carson Trail Conservancy.

ALT and the landowner negotiated an exclusive sales contract in January 2024 outlining ALT’s commitment to purchase the land pending successful due diligence and fundraising by December 2024.

A total of $2,590,000 is needed to conserve the land, and PGC has committed $1,295,000 as well as necessary due diligence to close on the property. ALT has several additional grant applications pending with state and local foundation sources. Upon ALT’s successful acquisition of the site, ownership will be transferred to PGC for permanent conservation and management that supports wildlife habitat and wildlife focused recreation.

“While we have work to do ahead of year’s end, we are excited that this partnership will meet our goals of protecting this land to support biodiversity, air and water quality, scenic character, wildlife habitat, ecological health and resiliency, and opportunities for outdoor recreation along and surrounding the Rachel Carson Trail,” Beichner said.

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PROJECT LINK

https://alleghenylandtrust.org/deercreek/

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ABOUT ALLEGHENY LAND TRUST Allegheny Land Trust has helped local people save local land in the Pittsburgh region since 1993, and now conserves more than 3,700 acres across 41 municipalities. ALT’s mission is to conserve and care for local land for the health and well-being of future generations, and it envisions a resilient region with abundant green space that is easily accessible and recognized as essential to the quality of life for all.

ABOUT THE PA GAME COMMISSION For more than 100 years, the Game Commission has managed the Commonwealth’s wildlife resources for all Pennsylvanians. Its mission is to manage and protect wildlife and their habitats while promoting hunting and trapping for current and future generations, and it envisions being recognized and respected as the leader in innovative and proactive stewardship of wildlife and their habitats.

The post Land Trust and Game Commission Partner to Save Local Land appeared first on Allegheny Land Trust.

For Immediate Release 

Monroeville, PA

Local land conservation non-profit Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) acquired 97 acres called the Gateway Woods Conservation Project in the Municipality of Monroeville, thus creating a 398-acre contiguous greenway by connecting Monroeville Community Park West, Monroeville Community Park East, Sugar Camp Park, and Mosside Slopes conservation area.

“Conserving this land helps to expand the growing, green amenities of Monroeville and Pitcairn to support expanded outdoor recreation and enjoyment of nature, while also improving regional resiliency through the many benefits preserved green space has to offer,” ALT President and CEO Chris Beichner said.

As a permanently conserved green space, this land supports the resiliency of Monroeville and Pitcairn by preserving natural scenic beauty, providing a place for close-to-home outdoor recreation and environmental education, mitigating downstream flooding in the Turtle Creek Watershed, providing cleaner air by sequestering 381,000 pounds of carbon and 6,800 pounds of other pollutants annually, preventing further traffic congestion and enhancing the attractiveness of nearby communities for current and prospective homeowners.

The project received letters of support from the Municipality of Monroeville, the Borough of Forest Hills, the Borough of Pitcairn, US Congresswoman Summer Lee, PA Senator Jim Brewster, PA Rep Brandon Markosek, Allegheny County Council Rep Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, the Garden Club of Allegheny County (GCAC), Turtle Creek Watershed Association and Sustainable Monroeville.

“Gateway Woods’ conservation is a big win for our communities today and for years to come,” said Pennsylvania State Representative Brandon Markosek. “We were glad to support this effort and connect existing lands to create expanded benefits for all.”

ALT worked over a one-year period to raise the $1,092,955 needed to purchase the land. Support was provided by 100 individual donors who gave more than $42,000, as well as support from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, GCAC, the Pittsburgh Foundation and Arconic Foundation.

Additionally, the timing of the March 2024 closing date was facilitated by a short-term loan from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy through their Colcom Foundation Revolving Fund for local land trusts to provide liquidity until the proceeds of other funding sources are received.

Now that ownership of the land is secured, ALT will create a management plan for the site to ensure its conservation value is maintained and improved.

The post ALT Conserves Local Land, Creates Greenway Connecting Municipal Parks appeared first on Allegheny Land Trust.

For Immediate Release 

Ross Township, PA

Local land conservation non-profit Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) acquired 24 acres of green space in Ross Township along Lowries Run.

Conserving this land expands ALT’s Lowries Run Slopes Conservation Area and directly connects to Ross Township’s Marion Doulton Green Space, thus creating 67 acres of protected woodlands.

“This project presented an amazing opportunity to not only support regional resiliency through conservation benefits, but also to create a unique, local greenway that supports outdoor enjoyment, recreation and environmental education,” Lindsay Dill, ALT’s Senior Director of Marketing & Community Engagement, said.

As a permanently conserved green space, this land preserves water quality in Lowries Run, mitigates downstream flooding by annually absorbing 20 million gallons of rainwater, maintains air quality by annually sequestering 97,000 pounds of carbon and 1,700 pounds of other pollutants and links two green spaces that provide opportunities for outdoor recreation and environmental education.

The project received full support from Ross Township, PA Senator Lindsey Williams, PA Representative Emily Kinkead, County Council Rep Jack Betkowski, Ross Environmental Advisory Council and the Northern Area Environmental Council.

“We prize our community’s proximity not only to built amenities, but also to natural resources,” Township Manager Ronald Borczyk said. “This land’s conservation supports our goals of protecting our air, land and water for generations to come.”

Together with partners, ALT raised the $556,727 needed to purchase the land. Support was provided by 130 individual community donors who gave more than $70,000, as well as support from the PA Department of Community & Economic Development’s Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund, Ross Township, the Colcom Foundation, the Sierra Club and the Northern Area Environmental Council.

As ALT moves onto creating a management plan for this site, it will also begin working on a new land conservation project with Ross Township. The land trust has under contract 51 acres of green space directly adjacent to the township’s 31-acre municipal park. The land sits critically at the highest point in the flood vulnerable Girty’s Run Watershed and its conservation will preserve community character and provide expanded public recreation opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. ALT will be working directly with the township and community to raise funding needed to secure the land by the end of this year.

“We’re excited to continue partnering with ALT to protect green spaces in Ross Township and maintain a community we’re all proud to call home,” Borczyk said.

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Lowries Run Slopes Expansion Project Link: https://alleghenylandtrust.org/lowriesrunslopesexpand/

2024 Ross Conservation Project Link: https://alleghenylandtrust.org/rossconservation

The post ALT Saves Local Land, Creates a 67-Acre Greenway appeared first on Allegheny Land Trust.

For Immediate Release

Collier Township, PA

Local land conservation non-profit Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) acquired 90 acres of woodlands in Collier Township adjacent to Collier Community Park.

This completes the first of ALT’s multi-phase Panhandle Greenway Conservation Project, a landscape-scale effort to proactively conserve high quality green space and add to locally conserved lands like Settler’s Cabin Park, Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, Collier Community Park, South Fayette’s Preservation Park, other public and privately conserved lands and the Panhandle and Montour Trails.

“Conserving this first parcel goes beyond preserving this specific property; it begins stitching together a growing, green fabric in the Panhandle Trail corridor,” ALT President and CEO Chris Beichner said. “It demonstrates a commitment to future generations, ensuring they inherit a cohesive tapestry of thriving ecosystems where they can permanently enjoy and connect with the benefits of nature.”

As a permanently conserved green space, this land supports the resiliency of the Panhandle Trail corridor by buffering the trail and nearby green spaces, preserving natural scenic beauty, providing a place for close-to-home outdoor recreation and environmental education, mitigating downstream flooding in Robinson Run and Chartiers Creek by absorbing 66 million gallons of rainwater annually, maintaining air quality by annually sequestering 322,000 pounds of carbon and 5,700 pounds of other pollutants, preventing further traffic congestion and enhancing the attractiveness of nearby communities to prospective homeowners.

Conservation’s significant role in improving water quality and mitigating flooding is underscored by the Pittsburgh region’s most recent stormwater incidents. In nearby Oakdale, streets and homes filled with several feet of standing water; at least nine people needed to be rescued from their homes.

“We see land conservation as a core solution to addressing many of our region’s challenges, like flooding,” Beichner said. “This land is now guaranteed to forever function as a natural climate solution to prevent exacerbated flooding by proactively maintaining natural, permeable surface in an area experiencing rampant development.”

The project received full support from U.S. Congressman Chris Deluzio, PA Senator Devlin Robinson, PA State Representative Anita Kulik, Allegheny County Conservation District, Allegheny County Parks Foundation, Friends of the Panhandle Trail, Pittsburgh Botanic Garden and County Council Representative Pat Catena.

“It is important for all of us to support important projects like this that promote conservation and recreation,” Rep Kulik said. “This project will significantly promote the beauty of our communities.”

ALT worked over a one-year period to raise the $630,356 needed to purchase the land. Support was provided by more than 110 individual community donors who gave more than $37,250, as well as support from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation, the Colcom Foundation and Massey Charitable Trust.

As ALT moves onto creating a long-term vision for this site, it will also begin working on a second acquisition of the Panhandle Greenway Conservation Project. ALT has 140 acres in South Fayette Township under contract for permanent protection and will be working with the community to raise the necessary $1,305,000 needed to secure the land by the end of 2024.

“We’re excited to work with the community on the next acquisition in this important watershed to balance intense development pressures with thoughtful, strategic conservation,” Beichner said. “By working together, we can create an unparalleled network of interconnected parks, nature areas, trails and streams that serve as a truly unique regional, recreational and ecological asset today and for generations to come.”

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Panhandle Greenway Conservation Project Link: https://alleghenylandtrust.org/panhandlegreenway/

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