Nature-lovers rejoice! Sweeping new land deal will keep our treasured Susquehanna River Gorge…

   FOREVER

GREEN

By JACK BRUBAKER, Staff
Lancaster New Era

Published: Dec 12, 2007 12:26 PM EST

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - The Pinnacle Overlook. Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve. Otter Creek Campground. Holtwood Arboretum. These are among the well-known Lancaster and York county natural features included in one of the largest land transfers in this region's history.

        PPL Corp. plans to give 3,500 acres it now owns on both the Lancaster and York county sides of the Susquehanna River to the Lancaster County Conservancy. The land will more than double the Conservancy's holdings, which for the first time will extend outside Lancaster County. Representatives of half a dozen public and private agencies planned to gather at the Pinnacle Overlook on the Susquehanna this afternoon to announce the initiative.

The deal will ensure that private utility land will be conserved forever by the nonprofit Lancaster County Conservancy. "These lands connect with land that has already been preserved," said Ralph Goodno, the Conservancy's president and CEO. He added, "To us this is just a beginning to protecting the (Susquehanna) corridor."
Mark Platts, president of the Lancaster-York Heritage Region, also talked of the agreement as crucial to developing a larger overall plan. "This is a key piece of building the Susquehanna Greenway," he said. "These lands and facilities are key attractions along the 400-mile-long Susquehanna River Water Trail."

The Conservancy will manage the natural resources in the region, often called the Susquehanna Gorge or River Hills. The Heritage Region staff will promote the region as a destination for residents and tourists. The lands involved include, among many other features, Kelly's Run Gorge, the Pequea Creek and Otter Creek campgrounds, the Pinnacle, Face Rock and Urey overlooks, and the Lock 12 Historic Area.

Conservancy officials say the properties are assessed at $20 million. PPL will sell the land — which stretches from north of Safe Harbor Dam to south of Holtwood Dam and includes river islands — to the Conservancy for $5 million. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources plans to pay $4 million of the $5 million. The other $1 million is expected to be provided in equal shares by the commissioners of York and Lancaster counties. Then the utility will donate this $5 million to the Conservancy, which will establish an endowment fund to maintain the land for public use in perpetuity. Under the agreement, PPL will continue to manage all the formal recreation areas — campgrounds, boat launches and picnic areas — and the Conservancy will manage the natural areas.

Barry Spangler, the Conservancy's director of development, said he could not find an example of "any similar deal where a corporation was given money for lands and then gave that money back." "As a corporation, PPL has a strong commitment to the environment and to the communities where we do business," said William H. Spence, PPL's executive vice president and CEO. "We're pleased to play a key role in making sure this beautiful land will be preserved."

Deregulation of the power industry has prompted many utilities to streamline their operations by selling land they don't need for power production. Last year Safe Harbor Water Power Corp. gave about 1,000 acres of undeveloped Susquehanna shoreline and islands in Lancaster and York counties to The Conservation Fund, a national non-profit conservation organization. Utilities receive benefits from giving away land. They no longer need to pay real estate taxes, and they receive a tax break by making a donation to a nonprofit organization. The land will no longer be taxed. Goodno said the Conservancy is working with the affected townships and school districts to establish guidelines for contributing money in lieu of paying taxes.

The agreement is subject to approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates PPL's operation of the Holtwood hydroelectric plant. Agreements also must be reached with about 100 individuals who are leasing hunting cabins, farmland and cell towers on these lands. Goodno said there are no plans to change the agreements in the near future. Goodno estimated that the land deal will be completed by the end of 2008.

More than doubling the Conservancy's current 3,340 acres will force the organization itself to grow. Goodno said two or three permanent staff positions will be added, and the seasonal crew will be expanded. The Conservancy and Heritage Region will cooperate as partners in managing and promoting the Susquehanna Greenway, Goodno said. An advisory committee will include members from other groups involved in the transaction. That includes The Conservation Fund, which has been working for the past decade toward a goal of ultimately preserving nearly 20,000 acres in the lower Susquehanna River region.

The county Conservancy is on a roll. Last week it received $1.15 million from Growing Greener II to purchase and preserve 188 acres of land in Mount Joy, West Cocalico and Martic townships.

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