ALT Saves Local Land, Creates a 67-Acre Greenway
April 19, 2024
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