Conservation Foundation

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The Buck Hill Conservation Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1992 with the mission:  
“To preserve and protect land in and around Buck Hill Falls, to promote the health of the local forest and watershed, and to foster appreciation of the area’s natural beauty.”

The Foundation preserves and protects 1,712 acres of forests and watershed, including 501 acres of owned land and 1,211 acres of conservation easements on land owned by the Buck Hill Falls Company.  This land is in a watershed that protects pristine springs and creeks, some of which are designated as “Exceptional Value” by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

The Foundation manages this land according to a forest management plan, which was recently sponsored by Audubon Mid-Atlantic, by conducting a wide range of stewardship activities, including:

  • Removing invasive plant species, including Japanese barberry, knotweed, and stilt grass, which inhibit forest regeneration.
  • Controlling invasive pests, including the woolly adelgid, which is killing hemlock trees—a foundation species vital to the health of streams and riparian habitats.
  • Managing the impacts of disease, including beech leaf disease, which is destroying the most abundant deciduous trees on Chestnut Mountain.
  • Reducing the overpopulation of deer, which forage on saplings and inhibit forest regeneration.
  • Reforesting damaged areas, including vital riparian buffers surrounding streams impacted by invasive species, pests, and disease.

To encourage appreciation of nature, the Foundation also maintains trails on 479 acres of land it owns (Chestnut Mountain), organizes educational hikes, leads Trail Gangs of young volunteers, and manages a community garden.

The Foundation's stewardship activities are vital for preserving Buck Hill's most important amenities:

·         scenic natural landscapes,

·         thriving forests and streams that support both recreation and wildlife, and

·         clean, natural water of exceptional value to the entire Buck Hill community.

 

If you want to support the Foundation’s essential work to conserve these amenities, please consider purchasing a membership and donating on the Foundation’s website:

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/tbhcfdonate

 

If you would like to learn more about The Buck Hill Conservation Foundation, please visit our website at https://www.buckhillconservation.org/ or contact us at info@tbhcf.org.