Panhandle Greenway Conservation Project
Protecting Local Land
UPDATES & UPCOMING ACTIVITIES | Learn more about this opportunity to save 140 acres of local land at our December 4 public info session at our Historic Walker-Ewing Log House.
SUMMARY | Since 2023, Allegheny Land Trust and its community partners have been working together on this landscape-scale effort to create an ecological, recreational, and place-making greenway unlike any in the region. In March 2024, ALT conserved the first, 90-acre phase of this project in Collier Township. There will be many phases in this ongoing effort to conserve woodlands in the rapidly-developing and flood-vulnerable Robinson Run Watershed and along the scenic corridor of the popular Panhandle Trail.
CURRENT EFFORTS | ALT is currently working to conserve 140 acres in South Fayette Township to grow the success of proactively conserving lands in this rapidly-developing area.
BENEFITS | The preservation of these lands will bridge Settler’s Cabin Park, Pittsburgh Botanical Garden, Collier Township Park, South Fayette’s Preservation Park, other public and privately conserved lands, and the Panhandle and Montour Trails to forever protect and enhance the quality of life in surrounding communities by preserving rural character and scenic beauty, expanding healthy recreational opportunities, contributing to local and regional resiliency and global sustainability, protecting important wildlife habitat, and providing an economic boost through enhanced desirability of the communities and new opportunities for recreation-related businesses.
STATUS & FUNDING | ALT has this land under exclusive contract to purchase and permanently protect these woodlands contingent upon successfully raising the necessary funds for closing in December 2024.
A total of $1,305,000 is needed to conserve this land. ALT has a funding plan in place and has successfully received grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Massey Charitable Trust, The Pittsburgh Foundation, the Sierra Club, and the Foundation for PA Watersheds. Other applications are pending. The final critical component of the funding puzzle is donations from individuals in the community.
HOW YOU CAN HELP | Donations from individuals are a crucial component to every ALT land conservation project as they are very important to help close the funding gap and serve as the local matching dollars required to unlock state grants.
For this project, we need the community to help us raise $75,000 to protect this land as permanent green space and benefit residents today and for generations to come. On December 3, 2024, it was announced that the South Fayette Conservation Group has issued a $10,000 matching challenge—and we need your support to meet it.
For every dollar you donate, SFCG will match it dollar-for-dollar. With just $20,000 left to reach our community funding goal, your contribution today will have double the impact, helping us reach this critical milestone and conserve these woodlands forever! We hope you’ll help save this local land by making a donation today.
Current Community Funding Status (updated: 12/12/2024)
$55,733/$75,000
