'A once in a lifetime opportunity:' Forest, land to be saved along Susquehanna River
Far above the Susquehanna River in eastern York County, an outcrop of rocks provides a magnificent view of the Lancaster County landscape and a stone arch railroad bridge crossing the mile-wide waterway.
It is surrounded by more than 200 acres of farmland and meadow as well as 900 acres of forest. To the north, the Codorus Creek, which meanders through York County, empties into the river and includes remarkable whitewater.
In the future, the public will be able to hike, fish and sightsee from the nearly 1,100 acres in Hellam Township that the Lancaster Conservancy is in the process of acquiring and preserving. The nonprofit land trust is working to raise $12 million for the project, group president Phil Wenger said.
Proposed development: Large Love's truck stop proposed off Route 30 in Hellam Twp., worrying Horn Farm officials
Mifflin House: York County OKs plan for $1.75M to save Underground Railroad property
Hellam Hills: New recreational area coming to the Susquehanna River hills
State and local officials and conservancy staff announced the plans on Wednesday at the site in eastern York County and offered participants the chance to see some of the views from the property.
The land will be added to the Hellam Hills Conservation Area, which already protects 1,040 acres and includes the Hellam Hills and Wizard Ranch Nature Preserves. The latest acquistion is expected to be completed by 2023, according to a news release.
"It is our largest project that we have taken on as the conservancy," Wenger said during the event. "It's also the single-most expensive project we've ever taken on."
Kate Gonick, senior vice president of land protection and general counsel, called it "a once in a lifetime opportunity." The property owners, who have asked to remain anonymous, had accumulated the land over 100 years and worked hard to take care of it.
It has incredible water resources, Gonick said. The organization wants to make sure the waterways can be cleaned with intact raparian buffers. It protects one and a half miles of the Codorus Creek and a mile of the river.
The conservancy focuses on protecting water resources, making sure that waterways can be cleaned with intact, functioning raparian buffers, she said.
York County Vice President Commissioner Doug Hoke said it's an exciting moment in time to protect nearly 1,100 acres on a critical parcel where the Codorus Creek enters the Susquehanna River.
Future planning talks about the importance of the river and outdoor recreation not just for local residents but also as an economic generator, he said. This property adds to the efforts.
"This project is large enough that we hope to attract national attention and federal support," Hoke said. "... This property has enormous potential for recreation and restoration. I'm proud to be part of this effort to make this happen."
Julie Jones, a resident of Hellam Township and a member of the conservancy, shared how saving the land on the York County side will help preserve the view from the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail, which goes from Columbia to Falmouth.
"So when people look across the river, they're going to see nature. They're not going to see houses or development," she said.
To date, the conservancy has protected nearly 5,500 acres in the Susquehanna Riverlands. With the latest addition, the saved acreage in York County will total more than 3,000, a news release states.
A public meeting for the master plan of Hellam Hills area is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday. Details are available at www.lancasterconservancy.org.
How to help
Anyone interested in donating can visit www.lancasterconservancy.org/donate.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: 1,000 acres to be preserved along Susquehanna River in Hellam Township
