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STATEMENT OF CONCERN AND RECOMMENDATIONS

 

From the Spring Creek Alliance Public Meeting, July 30, 2008:

We the undersigned hereby submit this Statement of Concern and Recommendations for the permanent preservation of 1.800 acres of Rockview Penitentiary property that includes the Spring Creek Canyon and surrounding uplands. We respectfully request the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania transfer stewardship of these 1,800 acres to the Pennsylvania Game Commission for their management of the land for Pennsylvania’s wildlife resources.

The following lists the reasons for our position:

1. Spring Creek is a world-class trout fishery, and the surrounding cliffs are habitat for nine Commonwealth-listed species of plants and animals that are globally rare, or rare in Pennsylvania. Transferring this property to entities that do not have the expertise, funding, or mandate to protect this ecosystem in its natural state is not in the best interests of this resource or the surrounding community.

2. The 1,800 acres proposed to be transferred include land classified by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy as a Biological Diversity Area (BDA), an area containing natural features that are important in the support of plants and animals of special concern at either state or federal levels that has exemplary natural communities or exceptional native biodiversity. The BDA extends from the bottom of the canyon to the uplands surrounding the canyon. A substantial buffer is necessary to protect the unique and sensitive features in the canyon.

3. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s December 29, 2006 report, entitled Ecological Assessment and Planning for the Spring Creek Biological Diversity Area states that: “The Spring Creek valley is a truly exceptional resource because of its diversity and uniqueness, and in comparison to other remaining communities of its type, it is extensive in size and in good ecological health.”

4. The Natural Heritage Inventory for Pennsylvania and Centre County states that the canyon requires exceptional protection.

5. Due to the special resources within the canyon, and their sensitivity to disturbance and pollution, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy recommended that all 1,800 acres either remain forested or be allowed to revert to forest or forest buffer lands to protect the Spring Creek valley.

6. Finally, we are concerned about the long-term future of this property. This land lies halfway between Bellefonte and State College, adjacent to an I-99 interchange in a rapidly urbanizing environment. Due to its extraordinarily high potential for development, it is imperative that this land be transferred to an entity that has the mandate, expertise, and funds to hold and manage the land in its natural state in perpetuity. Entities such as the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, or a conservancy could meet these criteria.