NBLT Receives National Land Trust Alliance Commission Reaccreditation Award
Dallas, PA – North Branch Land Trust (NBLT), a nonprofit, community-based, land conservation organization, was awarded its second renewal of accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission of Saratoga Springs, NY. This second renewal demonstrates that NBLT upheld the national standards for more than a decade. “Accreditation is a mark of distinction, recognizing land trusts that meet the national quality standards established by the land conservation community. NBLT has made an extraordinary commitment to excellence, trust and permanence in land conservation. The Commission especially recognizes NBLT’s work protecting the Mocanaqua Highlands,” states the Commission’s letter to NBLT’s executive director, Paul Lumia.
Lumia explained, “In keeping with the high standards established by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, accredited land trusts must reapply for accreditation every five years. The application process is rigorous and takes many months to complete for submission to The Commission. It’s a thorough process and NBLT is very pleased to receive this reaccreditation award and receive permission to continue to proudly use the accreditation seal.” Tammara Van Ryn, executive director of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission stated, “The accountability provided by the accreditation seal helps increase public confidence in land trusts.”
The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, established in 2006 as an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, is governed by a volunteer board of diverse land conservation and nonprofit management experts from around the country. The Land Trust Alliance based in Washington, DC, is a national land conservation organization that works to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America.
For the past 25 years NBLT has conserved over 20,000 acres of land in eight surrounding counties – Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming. These conserved lands protect watersheds and community drinking water supplies, habitat for indigenous plants and animals, natural areas for outdoor recreational activities, and lands for local agriculture. The Land Trust is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and looks forward to conserving the next 20,000 acres in the years to come. The organization’s board of directors, volunteers, members, donors, and staff are deeply grateful for the community support which helps carry out NBLT’s conservation mission in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
If you are interested in becoming involved with NBLT by becoming a member, making a donation, volunteering, or conserving your land, please visit their website www.nblt.org or call the office 570-310-1781 for more information.
The Land Trust’s new term of accreditation runs through July 31, 2024.
North Branch Purchases 390 Acre Crystal Lake Tract
The North Branch Land Trust (NBLT) has recently purchased an important 389-acre tract of land in Bear Creek Township, Luzerne County which will assist with water protection for the Delaware River and will improve public access and recreation opportunities to the Pinchot State Forest lands surrounding Crystal Lake.
The property sits atop the Delaware River Watershed and harbors wetlands and head water streams that feed into the Delaware River via the Bear Creek and Lehigh River. Trails on the property connect to existing trail networks on the neighboring state forest land. North Branch will be transferring the 389-acre parcel to the Pennsylvania State Forest system.
NBLT is grateful to have been able to purchase the land through grant support from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Recreation and Conservation Community Conservation Partnership Program with funding from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, and the Open Space Institute’s Delaware River watershed Protection Fund which is made possible with funding from the William Penn Foundation for its Delaware River Watershed Initiative to protect water quality in the Delaware River Basin.
2018-2019 Membership Campaign Underway!
Posted on: July 20, 2018
Nature is the Best Playground!
Will your children, grandchildren, and future generations have the same opportunity to explore nature like you did?
Working together, we can conserve the places in nature that we cherish and leave a legacy for all generations to come: the opportunity and ability for children to experience nature and have it always be part of their lives.
Conservation projects like Camp Kresage, the D&L trail, and Little Wilkes-Barre Mountain all of which added thousands of acres for recreation and the opportunity to connect with nature, were made possible through membership donations! PLEASE BECOME A NEW MEMBER OR RENEW YOUR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP because conserving the precious land of Northeastern Pennsylvania depends on all of us working together.
If you have any questions about land conservation or current NBLT projects give the office a call at 570-310-1781.
Please accept our sincere appreciation for your generous support of land conservation and for helping ensure that children will always be connected with nature!
To donate please click: Renew or become a new member
North Branch Land Trust’s Little Wilkes-Barre Mountain Conservation Project Completed
Posted on: June 29, 2018
North Branch Land Trust recently completed the acquisition and conservation of 1,131 acres of Little Wilkes-Barre Mountain in Newport Twp., Luzerne County. The Trust was successful in acquiring a DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Program grant for 50 percent of the appraised value of the land plus a donation from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry to purchase the property from Earth Conservancy. Earth Conservancy donated the remaining 50 percent of the land value.
The property is part of the Penobscot Mountain Highlands, and the Trust is working to protect the entire length of these ecologically rich highlands from Mocanaqua to Arbutus Peak in Mountain Top. The Little Wilkes-Barre Mountain parcel hosts a native brook trout stream with falls and a number of rare plant species according to the most recent Natural Areas Inventory taken by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy on behalf of Luzerne County.
Upon closing on the project, North Branch deeded the property to the PA Bureau of Forestry where it will become part of the Pinchot State Forest system and be forever protected. North Branch thanks all the project partners for helping to conserve this and other important natural lands in our Northeastern Pennsylvania communities.
Earth Conservancy Donates Rail Bed to NBLT
Posted on: October 9, 2017
Earth Conservancy is a nonprofit which formed to address the impacts of past coal mining operations in Luzerne County. Their work centers on the former holdings of the Blue Coal Corporation. Over the years NBLT has worked closely with the Earth Conservancy to permanently protect many thousands of acres in our communities. NBLT in conjunction with the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is working to complete the 164-mile D&L Trail into the Wyoming Valley.
Pictured L to R are Rylan Coker NBLT Land Protection Specialist, Paul Lumia NBLT Executive Director, Mike Dziak Executive Director Earth Conservancy, Brian Stahl HKQ Law
Once complete, the hiking and biking trail will run from Bristol, PA to Wilkes-Barre. Earth Conservancy donated approximately three miles of the old Lehigh & Susquehanna Railroad rail bed from the Seven Tubs Nature Area to Northampton Street. This donation will enable NBLT to complete the D&L Trail into Wilkes-Barre. NBLT hopes to start construction on this section of trail next spring and when completed it will be deeded over to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry which will manage the trail from Northampton Street to White Haven. A big thank you goes out to the Staff and Board of Directors of the Earth Conservancy for their donation and to NBLT members and supporters who have helped make this project possible.
Click on this link to see the Trail Project Area
D&L Trail Project Map.pdf
North Branch Land Trust, DCNR & The Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA Partner to Conserve Camp Kresge
Posted on: July 28, 2017
Thursday, June 22, 2017 – The North Branch Land Trust (NBLT) in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA completed a conservation project on the YMCA’s Camp Kresge property in Dennison Township, north of White Haven, PA. The purpose of Camp Kresge’s 647-acre conservation easement is to protect the natural and scenic areas of the camp as well as to protect the Nescopeck Creek watershed area. This is Land Trusts third largest conservation easement in its 24-year history. Rylan Coker, Land Protection and Stewardship Coordinator at NBLT stated the preserved 647-acre parcel of land connects with State Game Lands and a portion of the Nescopeck State Park. The project was funded through the Pennsylvania DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation Community Conservation Partnership Grant Program.
In 1953 the YMCA youth camp was moved from Blakeslee, PA to its present site and named Camp Kresge after S.S. Kresge who donated the costs of constructing the camp buildings. Since that time the YMCA has been instrumental in providing thousands of children from all socioeconomic backgrounds with an opportunity to learn about and enjoy the natural environment of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The staff and board of directors of North Branch Land Trust would like to thank the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for helping to conserve an important natural area in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
