Deer Creek Conservation Project
Protecting Local Land
SUMMARY | Allegheny Land Trust and community partners are working to permanently conserve 280 acres of woodlands in Indiana Township. This land is located in the Deer Creek Watershed and hosts a portion of the Rachel Carson Trail. Conserving this green space will preserve the character of this community, build resiliency, and provide expanded public recreational opportunities enhancing the quality of life for generations to come.
BENEFITS | The land’s permanent conservation would benefit the health, well-being, and enjoyment of current and future residents by protecting biodiversity, air and water quality, and local scenic character as well as creating connections and expanded opportunities for close-to-home passive recreation and environmental education.
Protecting this land would help to conserve the quality of the Deer Creek Watershed by allowing the continued absorption of 231.12 million gallons of rainwater annually. It would also ensure maintained air quality by annually sequestering 1.13 million pounds of carbon and removing 20,000 pounds of other pollutants.
FUNDING | ALT currently has an exclusive contract to purchase and permanently protect this green space contingent upon successfully raising the necessary funds for closing. A total of $2,590,000 is needed to conserve the land.
UPDATE | The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) – a long-time partner of ALT – committed to contributing significant funds to this project and ultimately assuming permanent ownership and stewardship of the land. This is a major win, as it helps close the funding gap while ensuring the permanent conservation of the green space and the portion of the Rachel Carson Trail that passes through it. ALT still has the land under contract and is still raising funds with several state agencies and the community to guarantee this project’s success between December 2024 and March 2025. Read more about the PGC news here.
HOW YOU CAN HELP | Spread the word and support ALT’s general fund! Tell your neighbors and friends about our efforts to work with neighbors like you to save local land. While we believe the dollars raised by the community to-date will cover the local match and gaps for this project, we always need support to continue pursuing new conservation projects in your area and across the region. We will update this page’s funding status if we learn we have any new gaps.
Current Community Funding Status (updated: 12/4/2024)
$31,443/$150,000