The North Branch Land Trust (NBLT) traces its beginnings to 1993, when a small group of citizens in the Dallas, Back Mountain area of Northeastern Pennsylvania, 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. 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. 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.
The 43 Acre Houck Family Farm Shickshinny PA
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. Since inceptions and with unwavering community support North Branch Land Trust has protected or helped protect over 20,000 acres in eight Northeastern Pennsylvania counties.
