PIKE COUNTY, PA — The Delaware Highlands Conservancy has announced that $3 million of federal Forest Legacy Program funding will be directed to “The Northeast Connection” for the permanent protection of thousands of contiguous, unfragmented acres of forests, lakes, and wetlands along the Little Bushkill Creek in Pike County.

Among those who worked to obtain the funds were Congressmen Tom Marino, Charles Dent, Matt Cartwright, Mike Fitzpatrick, Chris Gibson, and Patrick Meehan, the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy-Pennsylvania and many other national and regional conservation organizations.

Protected forestlands provide clean drinking water, wildlife habitat, and sustainable local jobs in the Upper Delaware River region. Private forest landowners have numerous opportunities to protect their forestlands for future generations, including working with a land trust like the Delaware Highlands Conservancy to craft a land preservation agreement for the property. Landowners in the Delaware River watershed may be eligible for funding to assist with the costs of protecting their properties or implementing a forest management plan; contact the Conservancy to learn more at 570/226-3164 or 845/583-1010.

For more information on the Conservancy and how it connects people to the lands where they live, work, and play, visit www.DelawareHighlands.org.