ALLEGHENY LAND TRUST TO PROTECT BETHEL GREEN

February 10, 2020 | For Immediate Release

Bethel Park, PA – Local non-profit land conservation organization Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) announced today that it will finalize the acquisition of 40.5 acres of woodlands in Bethel Park before March 31, 2020.

The permanent protection of this rare remaining green space along Route 88 near its intersection with Valley Drive has been ensured by ALT after working for almost a year in cooperation with the Municipality of Bethel Park, the local community, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and other supporting partners. 

“We’re proud to conserve one of the largest remaining green spaces in Bethel Park for the health, well-being, and enjoyment of current residents and future generations,” said Tom Dougherty, ALT Vice President of External Affairs. “It took a real team effort, and ALT is extremely grateful for the support of local residents, Bethel Municipal Council, Senator Pam Iovino, and Representative Natalie Mihalek.”  

Over the past year, ALT worked to arrange funding for the acquisition through a successful community fundraising campaign, a contribution from the Municipality of Bethel Park, and grants from the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County, the PA Department of Community and Economic Development, and the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

“The permanent protection of this land is well-aligned with the Keep Bethel Green imperative as outlined in our recently completed strategic plan,” said Bethel Park Municipal Council President Tim Moury. “It will be a true asset to our community in so many ways.” 

Bethel Green is within walking distance of several thousand neighbors, and features an informal network of hiking trails, remnants of the area’s mining history, and a variety of resilient plant and animal species that have recently reclaimed it as a natural space.  Its protection will preserve scenic beauty, provide a close to home place for healthy exercise, absorb thousands of gallons of rainwater at the head of the flood-prone Saw Mill Run watershed, enhance local property values, and provide opportunities for historical and environmental education.

The new conservation area will be owned and managed by ALT with volunteer support from interested community members and civic organizations.

“The creation of this permanently protected green space took a collaborative effort, and we look forward to working together on an ongoing basis with friends and neighbors to make it the best it can be,” said Dougherty. 

Long-time Bethel Park Ward 5 Councilman Don Harrison expressed his excitement about the success of this conservation effort.

“There have been many different proposals for the use of that land over the years,” he said, “but this one will provide a lasting benefit to Bethel Park.” 

ALT will host a public event to celebrate the acquisition of the property and discuss 2020 plans and opportunities for volunteer participation:

March 11  |  6 pm – 8 pm  |  Cool Springs Sports Complex, 3001 Cool Springs Drive, Bethel Park, PA

All interested parties are welcome, and are asked to RSVP at:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bethel-green-meet-greet-and-plan-registration-81988013355

ALLEGHENY LAND TRUST PROTECTS LAND ALONG MONTOUR TRAIL

October 17, 2019 | For Immediate Release

Moon Township, PA – Local land conservation non-profit Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) has acquired 38.5 acres of woodlands along the Montour Trail and Montour Run in Moon Township.

ALT finalized the purchase of this green space today after a year-long fundraising campaign ensuring that the natural landscape along this portion of the popular trail and stream will remain forever wild.  

“This section of the Montour Valley is among the most scenic and natural parts of the entire trail, and it is also one of the most heavily used sections,” said Roy Kraynyk, ALT’s VP of Land Protection. “We and our partners in the project felt that it was critical that it be preserved in its natural state for current users and future generations.”

The conservation of this land significantly increases the amount of protected lands along the lower Montour Run corridor maintaining several miles of undeveloped trailside for the enjoyment of thousands of users each week while also mitigating downstream flooding, helping to maintain water and air quality, preserving contiguous wildlife habitat and enhancing nearby property values.

ALT enlisted the support of the Montour Trail Council and the Hollow Oak Land Trust to raise awareness and funding for the project and received significant grant support from the Garden Club of Allegheny County, the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation, and anticipated support from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Members of the local community also rallied to raise more than $20,000 for the project.  

“Conservation projects like this take real collaboration and broad-based support and we are grateful to our partners and all of our supporters who helped to make this happen,” said Kraynyk.

Garden Club of Allegheny County president Delia Egan said “Our mission at Garden Club is to promote conservation, prudent civic planning and community horticultural activities, and we felt that this conservation project aligns well with each of these goals. We are pleased to be able to provide grant support to such a beneficial community project to protect the region’s natural beauty and ensure permanent habitat for native flora and fauna.”

Linda Mckenna Boxx, Chairperson of the Katherine Mabis McKenna Foundation concurs.

“Conserving land along trail corridors preserves the natural experience for trail users while also protecting the trails themselves from slides and flooding,” Boxx said. “We are pleased to support the Allegheny Land Trust in protecting this special and popular portion of the Montour Trail and nearby Montour Run.”

The new conservation area, located around milepost one on the Montour Trail, does not have any formal trails at this time, but is open for public exploration.

June 19 Community Meeting, Big Sewickley Creek

June 1, 2019

For Immediate Release

PUBLIC INPUT SOUGHT BY LOCAL NONPROFIT FOR WATERSHED PLANNING PROJECT

Sewickley, PA – Local land conservation nonprofit Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) invites the residents surrounding the Big Sewickley Creek Watershed to attend a June 19, 2019 community meeting surrounding the “Rivers Conservation and Stewardship Plan”, which it launched in Spring 2019.

Hosted by ALT and consultants from Pashek + MTR, the meeting will provide community members with a description, update, and opportunity for ideas and comments on the planning process for this watershed.

“Water is a vital resource, one that we all enjoy, but one whose importance is often overlooked,” Community Conservation Director Alyson Fearon said. “We’re launching this effort, so we can later apply the tool belt of land conservation to address water quality, flooding, recreation opportunities, land use, and other issues that may come to light in this watershed. And because the project resulted from conversations with community members, we’re hosting this meeting to ensure the plan is created with their concerns, goals, and ideas in-mind.”

The purpose of the plan is to provide a better public understanding of the watershed’s natural and cultural assets, identify threats to water quality and property due to flooding, recommend resolutions to competing interests, and prioritize opportunities to maintain the watershed as a beautiful and healthy place to reside and recreate.

ALT is also seeking input from residents of the watershed area prior to the meeting, whether or not the individual is attending. Please find a map of the watershed on page two of this release. Those who wish to provide input can do so here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/G5NT9GL

Big Sewickley Creek Watershed Community Meeting

WHEN: June 19, 2019  |  6:30-8:00 P.M.

WHERE: Marshall Township Municipal Building

525 Pleasant Hill Road | Wexford, PA | 15090

*Parking and entrance at the back of the building

RSVP encouraged but not required:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/big-sewickley-creek-community-meeting-registration-62954439423

Facebook Event Link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/2206847456057974/

Plan webpage:

Big Sewickley Creek Watershed Rivers Conservation & Stewardship Plan

New Year, New Green Spaces, New Record

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February 5, 2019

For Immediate Release

ALLEGHENY LAND TRUST POSTS RECORD YEAR FOR CONSERVATION

Sewickley, PA – The completion of several conservation acquisitions in early January wrapped-up an extremely active year for Allegheny Land Trust (ALT). The local, land conservation non-profit celebrated its 25th anniversary year by protecting or putting under contract for protection 411 acres of green space across ten projects in seven different Allegheny County municipalities in 2018. This was a record number of new conservation areas created in a single year and increased the total acreage under ALT’s protection to more than 2,500.

“These projects serve as excellent examples of how our quarter century of land protection work is beginning to create vital connections to existing green space in the region,” said ALT VP of Land Protection Roy Kraynyk.

Many of the newly acquired green spaces create immediate or potential connections to existing green space. Land protected in Monroeville expanded ALT’s existing Mosside Slopes conservation area and connected it to Monroeville Park East; parcels acquired in Hampton Township are adjacent to or near North Park, in Franklin Park property was acquired that is across the street from the municipality’s Acorn Park; an ALT acquisition in Bell Acres connects to the community ball park complex, and a project soon to close in Moon will create wooded buffer along the Montour Trail and provide access to Montour Run.

In a time when Allegheny County is losing more than 2,000 acres of green space each year to development, the nonprofit is working to protect lands like these to address some of the region’s most pressing issues by protecting air, water, and wildlife habitat quality; preventing flooding, landslides, and combined sewer overflow (CSO) and creating opportunities for food security, recreation, and environmental education.

“We’re urgently working to do more to help enhance the quality of life for all in our region by protecting one of its defining assets: nature,” Kraynyk said.

ALT already has four projects totaling 142 acres under contract for protection in 2019 and anticipates more to arise as the year progresses. The land trust currently protects more than 2,500 acres of green space in 30 municipalities across the Pittsburgh region.

To learn more about ALT’s existing protected green space and upcoming projects, visit the nonprofit’s website at alleghenylandtrust.org.


 

 

 

New Land Project: Montour Greenway Expansion

In partnership with the Montour Trail Council and Hollow Oak Land Trust, we’re ensuring that the Montour Trailside remains green for current and future generations.

At ALT, we protect our region’s remaining green resources in response to rampant development that is far outpacing our region’s population growth. We’ve protected more than 2,400 acres of green space, and every resident of Allegheny County now lives within 12 miles of one of our conservation areas. While our work has significantly improved and ensured the protection of green space in our region, we have much left to do.

Help us protect 38.5 acres along the Montour Trail by supporting this project and sharing the news with a friend.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE: KEEP THE MONTOUR TRAIL GREEN

If you’ve walked, run, or biked the Montour Trail you know that part of what makes your experience so special is the scenic landscape through which the trail passes. The gurgling streams, wooded hillsides, and lush valleys are part of our region’s unique natural heritage, and no matter the season the trail and its surroundings provide a much-welcomed respite from the nearby noise, asphalt, and traffic for thousands of users each day. People of all ages, interests, and abilities have come to count on the trail and its surroundings as their place to experience nature, exercise, spend time with family, friends, and pets, or simply enjoy quiet time.

We are particularly fortunate here in the Moon Township area because we have a portion of the trail that is uniquely rustic and scenic following Montour Run as it makes its way toward the Ohio River. Wildlife and wildflowers abound, the dense woods and clean stream combine to make it a very special corridor.

It could be easy to take these wonderfully-wooded surroundings for granted–to assume that since they have always been here they will always be here to provide the scenic beauty, clean water, fresh air, quiet tranquility, wildlife habitat, and close-to-home outdoor recreation that make this a very special place to live. But we simply do not have that luxury. Residential, commercial, and energy development is threatening our green space at an intensifying rate, so we cannot assume that “our” part of the trail will always be the way it is today.  

We need look no further than a few miles up the trail to witness how over-development of the trailside landscape can degrade the trail experience forever.   

It is for this reason that Allegheny Land Trust (in collaboration with the Montour Trail Council and the Hollow Oak Land Trust) is working to permanently protect 38.5 wooded, trail front, stream front acres in the Montour Run Valley. This land (shown in red on this map) is a key piece of the puzzle to protect remaining green space in the valley and connect with other protected lands (shown in shades of green and beige) to create a contiguous and permanent greenway to be enjoyed today and by future generations. ALT has this special property under contract to purchase if we can raise the necessary funds before the end of the year.  

In addition to scenic and recreational benefits, protecting this land would help to mitigate trail and downstream flooding, maintain air and water quality, preserve contiguous wildlife habitat, and further enhance nearby property values.   

We have a unique opportunity to work together to make a real and visible difference! A total of $180,000 is needed to protect this land for current and future generations. ALT currently has pending grants totaling $90,000 from PA state agencies, and commitments of $70,000 from local foundations and other sources, leaving a gap of $20,000 needed from the community to protect this key parcel forever. Additionally, portions of the state grants noted above are dependent upon us raising these local matching dollars. We need your help!  

Please help us to seize the opportunity to protect these 38.5 acres of trailside Moon Township green space forever by making your tax-deductible contribution to the Montour Greenway Expansion project on our online donation form.  

Thank you for acting urgently to help us make a difference!  

Sincerely, 

Roy Kraynyk 

VP of Land Protection 

Allegheny Land Trust 

 Sean Brady 

Executive Director 

Hollow Oak Land Trust 

  

Dennis Pfeiffer 

President 

Montour Trail Council 

 

MAKE A DIFFERENCE, MAKE YOUR CONTRIBUTION

WPRDC & ALT Release Tool for Public Access

Sewickley, PA – Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) and the Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center (WPRDC) have just launched Urban Greenprint, an interactive online regional mapping tool that will guide urban greening priorities.

Urban Greenprint features a number of land use data sets from public-sector, non-profit and private organizations, and makes them available for public use.

“The tool is an intersectional analysis of the status of all Pittsburgh-area land parcels that is equally accessible to all organizations and individuals,” ALT community conservation director Alyson Fearon said. “It offers opportunities for public engagement and self-education that we hope empowers residents working on land use challenges to take action in protecting their community green spaces.”

Users of Urban Greenprint can view environmental data on a map and interact with regularly-updated information about properties in Allegheny County. It is powered by the regional data sharing infrastructure provided by the WPRDC. In addition to developing and hosting the tool, data featured in Urban Greenprint is also available as open data on the WPRDC’s website.

“The convergence of strong economic, social, cultural and environmental factors presents the Pittsburgh region with a transformational land use management opportunity that is unparalleled in recent times,” Fearon said. “Local economic expansion is spurring development in parts of the city and county, benefitting many residents while potentially leaving others behind. Visionary, community-supported land-use decisions will be needed to best address these issues and maximize opportunities for all the region’s residents.”

ALT hopes Urban Greenprint empowers residents to make their communities more resilient by addressing apparent opportunities to effect community and environmental issues including recreation opportunity, neighborhood revitalization, urban green space preservation, urban gardening/farming, and remediation of issues like flooding, combined sewer overflow, landslides and air quality. This map helps to outline where opportunities to preserve environmentally sensitive and important properties are greatest.

Some ways individuals could make use of this data are by utilizing it to reach out to individuals whose properties are suitable for use as green infrastructure, to identify opportunities to turn vacant land into community gardens or other neighborhood assets or spark a discussion about risks in developing flood or landslide-prone properties.

The Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center provides a shared, inclusive infrastructure for open data. The project is managed by the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Urban and Social Research, in partnership with Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh. Staff associated with the Regional Data Center manage a shared community open data portal, automate data feeds from publishers, and build tools that make use of the data. The project team also organizes a wide array of events and activities, and provides technical assistance in the use of data in its role as a civic data intermediary. The Regional Data Center is a partner in the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership, a network of civic data intermediaries in over 30 cities managed by the Urban Institute.

 

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This comprehensive and innovative tool is now available at http://tools.wprdc.org/urban-greenprint/

Land Trust Protects Scenic 12-Acre Farm

Indiana Township, PA – Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) and landowner Susan Orenstein worked together to protect 12 acres in Indiana Township using a conservation easement on “Catch the Wind Farm”.

Placing an easement on the farm has ensured that the land will forever be conserved, and will never be developed.

“This farm, a portion of a much larger farm that existed here for more than a century, is a precious place that allows wildlife and plants and the water sources that sustain them to thrive adjacent to the large open spaces of Hartwood Acres,” said Susan Orenstein, who owns the land. “I’m thrilled to give up my right to profit financially by development in order to preserve the far more important value of the land itself, and am grateful to ALT for helping me to do that.”

A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that permanently limits uses of the land to protect its conservation values. Landowners retain many of their rights, including the right to own and use the land, sell it, and pass it on to their heirs, and entrust the land’s development rights with a conservation entity.

In addition to federal tax benefits that land owners can enjoy from donating a conservation easement, surrounding communities benefit from the protected scenic beauty, wildlife habitat, and water quality.

“We were excited to work with Susan on the easement to protect her land. The Cedar Run area is one of the last remaining vestiges of the county’s agricultural heritage, and ALT is very happy to be a partner in protecting it,” ALT VP of Land Resources and Capital Projects Roy Kraynyk said.

Catch the Wind farm is comprised of a woodlot, scenic pasture, and a shallow valley. It will be monitored, maintained, and protected by Allegheny Land Trust using a restricted stewardship fund created with a donation from Orenstein.

Protecting more than 2,200 acres of green space in the Pittsburgh region, ALT now has a conservation area within 12 miles of every Allegheny county resident. These lands provide natural areas for recreation, environmental education and improvement of our region’s sce¬¬nic quality, biodiversity, and quality of air and water.

New Citizen-Scientist Program Generates Buzz

April 5, 2018

For Immediate Release

 

Sewickley, Pennsylvania—Allegheny Land Trust and Point Park University have formed a partnership to promote citizen-scientists in the Pittsburgh region who will have an opportunity to learn about native bees and other pollinators.

 

“Project Bee Watch” will involve regular volunteer visits for surveying the Audubon Greenway Conservation area and a pollinator festival.

 

“Bees, among many other pollinators, provide an important function in maintaining the ecosystems that many animals and humans rely on for food,” said Matthew Opdyke, an associate professor of environmental science at Point Park University.

 

North America has about 4,000 species of native bees, and more than 300 species occur in Pennsylvania. Opdyke said that some of the bee volunteers might see could include bumble bees, sweat bees and mason bees.

 

“We hope this initial study sparks other organizations to work with us gathering similar data from citizen-scientists at other locations,” Opdyke said. The data that will be collected will help in determining the status of native bees in the region and help to encourage their conservation.

 

“Bees go way beyond the European honey bee, which most people think about,” Opdyke said. “And we hope the community members will come away from the program with a greater appreciation for native bees and other pollinators.”

 

Volunteers will work with Opdyke to attend trainings and conduct studies at Audubon Greenway, Allegheny Land Trust’s (ALT) 161-acre green space in Sewickley. They aim to learn about the different pollinators using the green space. The project’s Pollinator Festival is being planned for Saturday, July 28 at Audubon Greenway, which will include displays, walks and presentations about the pollinators being studied.

 

Emilie Rzotkiewicz, vice president of land resources for Allegheny Land Trust, said that the partnership will advance ALT’s efforts to recover native grasses that were mowed in previous years, which impacted wildlife like native songbirds, and suppressed the native wildflowers that support pollinator species like bees and butterflies. Using this partnership, ALT can plant warm season grasses and native wildflowers will enhance the meadow to attract more diverse species.

 

“Not only will the work be informative about local pollinators, but it will further engage and empower people to become citizen scientists and learn about the world around them,” Rzotkiewicz said.

 

The project is being funded through Point Park’s Social Impact Grant sponsored by the Center for Inclusive Excellence and the Department of Community Engagement. This project also will allow ALT to advance an existing project at the green space, which is supported by Bayer’s Feed a Bee initiative. The initiative focuses on supporting organizations with projects to establish or restore pollinator forage in every state by the end of 2018; ALT is one of 112 funded projects in 39 states and Washington, D.C.

 

Volunteers will need to attend a training session at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, at Audubon Greenway, 160 Magee Road. Interested in becoming a volunteer? Contact Professor Matthew Opdyke at Point Park University mopdyke@pointpark.edu.

 

About Allegheny Land Trust

Now, for 25 years, Allegheny Land Trust has helped local people save local land.

ALT’s mission is to serve as the lead land trust conserving and stewarding lands that support the scenic, recreational and environmental well-being of communities in Allegheny County and its environs. Since 1993, ALT has protected more than 2,200 acres in 27 municipalities.

 

About Point Park University

Point Park is a dynamic, urban university with a strong liberal arts tradition. Located in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh, Point Park enrolls more than 4,000 full- and part-time students in 79 undergraduate programs, 18 master’s programs and two doctoral programs offered through its School of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Communication and Conservatory of Performing Arts. Its students represent 46 states and 41 countries.

 

THREE RIVERS AGRICULTURAL LAND INITIATIVE GROWS

January 30, 2018

For Immediate Release

 

The newly-formed Three Rivers Agricultural Land Initiative (TRALI) completed its steering committee in January 2018 by bringing on three community representatives.

 

Dana Harris-Yates, Masoud Sayles and Gavin Deming will represent three unique, Pittsburgh communities in governing TRALI on a nine-person steering committee, which also includes representatives from Grow Pittsburgh and Allegheny Land Trust (ALT).

 

Dana Harris-Yates was raised farming, gardening and learning horticulture passed down from Indigenous teachings from her Aniyunwiya American Indian heritage. Dana is the founder of Cultural Oasis Healing Emporium LLC, and is the Operations Manager for the Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers Cooperative of Pittsburgh (BUGS) based in Homewood. Her personal mission is to promote spiritual, emotional and physical health and wellness in Indigenous communities throughout the entire diaspora, and to share ancient techniques of healing to all ages.

 

Masoud Sayles has a bachelor’s degree in Geo-Biology from Penn State and practices permaculture design. An active volunteer in his community, Masoud manages a community garden in McKeesport. He believes strongly that human existence is only a successful endeavor if it is conducted in partnership with other organisms in our environment, especially trees.

 

Gavin Deming is Executive Director of Allegheny GoatScape and Community Specialist with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s community garden and greenspace program. Gavin volunteers for the Ballfield Farm community garden on the North Side. He believes that the earth and its people can heal at the intersection of environmental stewardship and intentional community building, and we all need to be quick to listen to those who are not usually heard in decision-making situations.

 

TRALI launched in August 2017 with the goal of protecting and preserving selected urban agricultural lands in perpetuity, and held its first planning meeting in December 2017. It will provide long-term security for existing community gardens and urban farms, and ensure that future urban agricultural expansion will be planned and conducted on protected land. The initiative will create the stability necessary to foster a vibrant, sustainable urban agriculture movement in the Pittsburgh region by removing the threat of future sales of agricultural lands for other development purposes and creating opportunity to expand urban agriculture.

 

Community gardens and urban farms provide environmental benefits including stormwater mitigation, pollinator habitat creation and neighborhood food insecurity reduction, and also serve as vital places for social connections and community-building. There are more than 80 community gardens and urban farms in Allegheny County, many of which are using land without a formal land use agreement or have only temporary permission. With this initiative, Pittsburgh will join Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago and Providence, which all have land trusts dedicated to protecting urban agriculture projects.

 

Rounding out the TRALI steering committee include Quincy Swanson, Grow Pittsburgh representatives Quincy Swanson, Rayden Sorock and Jake Seltman, and Allegheny Land Trust representatives Beth Dutton, Roy Kraynyk and Chris Beichner.

 

Those who are interested in learning more about having their community garden or urban farm participate in the program can send an inquiry to info@growpittsburgh.org

 

About Grow Pittsburgh

 

Grow Pittsburgh’s mission is to teach people how to grow food and promote the benefits that gardens bring to our neighborhoods. The organization was founded in 2005, and has been a registered 501c(3) entity since 2008. We use growing food as a platform to bring people and communities together, while inspiring them to be healthier individuals, learn new skills, care for the earth and make our city and region a more livable, equitable and desirable place to be. Please visit our website to learn more about the distinct programs and production sites that provide opportunities for people of all ages to grow their own food. More information can be found at growpittsburgh.org.

 

About Allegheny Land Trust

 

Founded as a nonprofit in 1993 in response to the rapidly declining amount of green space in Allegheny County, ALT has protected more than 2,100 acres to preserve our region’s unique natural beauty, provide accessible outdoor recreational opportunities, improve water quality, sustain biodiversity, and enhance the overall quality of life for all. ALT’s mission has expanded in recent years to include innovative methods of land conservation in support of community needs for urban green space as well the addition of a professional environmental education team teaching people of all ages to understand and appreciate the natural world. More information can be found at alleghenylandtrust.org.