Preserving regional riches

Cherry Valley earns National Wildlife Refuge status

By SANDY LONG

MONROE AND NORTHAMPTON COUNTIES, PA — It doesn’t happen often, and typically not in fast-growing counties like these. With a new year on the near horizon, the announcement on December 23 of a new national wildlife refuge (NWR) marked the achievement of a long-sought designation diligently worked toward by organizations, grassroots activists, politicians and ordinary people who love Cherry Valley.

There are currently 538 NWRs in the United States and only two others in Pennsylvania. Following completion of a study and environmental assessment, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) moved quickly to approve the designation and establish a boundary of 20,466 acres in Monroe and Northampton counties.

The Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge will benefit not only rare plants and animals, but also a landscape of working farms and private homes woven throughout a beautiful valley only 75 miles from Philadelphia and Manhattan. It is the first wildlife refuge to be established in the Northeast in nearly a decade.

Debra Schuler, president of the Friends of Cherry Valley (FCV), an organization that has dedicated many years to this cause, applauded the decision, saying, “Now we can move forward with protecting the environment, the animals that inhabit it, and its rich history.”

“The Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge will protect a rare and important landscape for both people and nature,” said Bill Kunze, Pennsylvania state director for The Nature Conservancy (TNC), which has sought to protect this region for more than 15 years. “We’re very happy for the people of Cherry Valley, who have loved this land for generations and have worked hard to bring this refuge to life,” Kunze said.

Schuler added, “The establishment of the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge will now give conservation-minded landowners the additional option that has been needed to assist them in preserving their land as a legacy for future generations.”

According to the refuge plan, the FWS would be authorized to purchase some land outright and protect other acres through voluntary conservation easements. Only willing sellers will be involved in the project. Six thousand acres are already protected through efforts by TNC, government agencies and local conservation groups.

“This project will enhance and reinforce what is already being demonstrated in Cherry Valley—that people and wildlife can indeed live in harmony with each other,” said Bud Cook, senior project manager for the conservancy’s Pocono Mountains project. “This proposal has moved from dream to reality because of strong support from the local community and their Congressional representatives,” Cook said.

According to TNC, the refuge will be developed over many years, protecting an area that stretches west from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and encompasses a stretch of the Appalachian Trail and the slopes of Kittatinny Ridge, a globally important flyway for birds of prey.

The Cherry Valley area harbors several federally endangered species, including northeastern bulrush and, in the Delaware River nearby, dwarf wedge mussel. Endangered bog turtles make their home in the valley, as do rare plants including spreading globeflower, a member of the buttercup family, and Grass-of-Parnassus.

The refuge also features one of the largest unprotected sections of a relatively unbroken, 400,000-acre Appalachian forest extending from Pennsylvania’s southern border to New York’s Shawangunk Mountains.

While there are no properties in the valley that are currently open to the public, roadside birding is one popular activity enjoyed in the lush valley. According to TNC media relations manager Randall Edwards, programs are offered throughout the year that enable the public to enjoy certain places in Cherry Valley. Last year, the FCV organized a Cherry Valley Ramble, providing guided walks at a number of protected properties. Visit friendsofcherryvalley.com to learn more.