Conservation Across Northeastern PA
A Lasting Legacy of Land Protection in Pennsylvania
North Branch Land Trust’s legacy began in 1993, when a group of concerned citizens came together to protect the rural character of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Since that founding moment, the organization has grown steadily in its conservation mission—culminating most recently in 2025 with a landmark conservation easement around the Huntsville Reservoir to help protect drinking water for over 30,000 people.
Our History Over The Years
A small group of citizens in the Dallas, PA - Back Mountain area just northwest of Wilkes-Barre, became concerned by the effects of rapid growth and development on their rural communities.
The founders watched farms and open spaces disappear, and wondered if the fundamental values of their rural lifestyle were in danger. At that time the Land Trust was known as the Back Mountain Regional Land Trust.
NBLT completed its first conservation easement in 1995 when a couple from Maryland expressed an interest in protecting their 43-acre family farm in Luzerne County near Shickshinny.
NBLT hired their first staff member, Linda Thoma who was executive Director until 2015.
In 2000 the Trust changed its name to North Branch Land Trust to better reflect its area of operation, the lands that frame the north branch of the Susquehanna River.
A significant event in 2008 was the Land Trust being awarded accredited status by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. This program is an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance (LTA). Accredited land trusts meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. The accreditation seal lets the public know that the accredited land trust has undergone an extensive, external review of the governance and management of its organization and the systems and policies it uses to protect land.
The year 2009 ended on a high note with the completion the 1,880-acre conservation easement on the Bear Creek Lutheran Camp property in Bear Creek Township, PA., pushing the Land Trust’s total protected lands over the 10,000-acre mark.
In 2017 and 2018 the Land Trust completed eight conservation projects in Luzerne County totaling over 2800 acres.
In 2022, North Branch Land Trust’s 670 acre Howland Preserve was deeded to PA DCNR Bureau of State Parks to become the first state park in Wyoming County.
In 2023, 1400 acres of the Hanover Reservoir were conserved by NBLT and deeded to PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry.
In 2025, NBLT closed on a 220 acre conservation easement with Pennsylvania American Water Company on the lands surrounding the Huntsville Reservoir in an inaugural effort of the water company permanently protecting the drinking water for more than 30,000 people.