Fulton Township, Pa. – The Lancaster Conservancy has transferred the 175-acre Rock Springs Nature Preserve to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (DCNR) Bureau of Forestry, which will manage the property as part of the William Penn State Forest. Located in southern Lancaster County, Rock Springs is part of the state-designated Susquehanna Riverlands Conservation Landscape as well as the State Line Serpentine Barrens, a globally rare ecosystem which includes the last remaining serpentine grasslands in the eastern United States.
Rock Springs Nature Preserve (Photo by Michelle Johnsen Photography)
Rock Springs consists of a unique habitat of global significance – serpentine barrens – caused by thin infertile soil derived from underlying serpentine rock geology. Serpentine soil has too much toxic nickel and chromite and too little calcium for most plants, but because of these unusual conditions, it supports an array of rare and unusual plant species that have evolved to survive in this environment.
Managing serpentine landscapes as barrens requires significant effort and resources. Left unmanaged, the barrens, characterized primarily by scrubby grasslands, give way to early successional forest. Serpentine barrens require routine disturbance such as prescribed burns for this landscape to retain its uniqueness. The Bureau of Forestry has proven its ability to effectively manage serpentine barrens through routine disturbance like prescribed fire, implementing these management strategies at other properties only miles away from Rock Springs.
“The Lancaster Conservancy is pleased to transfer Rock Springs Nature Preserve to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry, a proven land manager of the globally rare serpentine barrens. This transfer ensures that the ecosystem will be actively managed to retain its global importance,” said Brandon Tennis, senior vice president of stewardship at Lancaster Conservancy.
This strategic transfer brings the Bureau of Forestry into land ownership and management within Lancaster County and the Susquehanna Riverlands Conservation Landscape for the first time.
Rock Springs Nature Preserve (Photo by Michelle Johnsen Photography)
“DCNR is proud to welcome this new addition to William Penn State Forest and the management of its globally rare ecosystem,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “We are confident that the dedicated William Penn team will bring its expertise management of this land and ensure this unique landscape endures for future generations’ use and enjoyment.”
Named for the founder of “Penn’s Woods,” William Penn State Forest spans multiple tracts across southeastern Pennsylvania. The forest is home to several wild and natural areas and provides opportunities for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, horseback riding, primitive camping, hunting, and more.
Rock Springs was acquired by The Nature Conservancy in the 1990s with funding from DCNR, then transferred to the Lancaster Conservancy in 2004. It has now been transferred from the Conservancy to the DCNR Bureau of Forestry.
Lancaster Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust that has protected over 11,000 acres of natural land since its founding more than 50 years ago. The Conservancy manages over 50 nature preserves in Lancaster County and in York County in the Susquehanna Riverlands Conservation Landscape. Volunteer, sign up for an event, find a preserve, or donate at lancasterconservancy.org.
DCNR manages 124 state parks, 2.2 million acres of state forest land, and works with local governments and municipalities to provide grants, planning, and other resources to communities across Pennsylvania. Visit DCNR’s website for more information about the agency and check out DCNR’s Calendar of Events for events on public lands.