On December 5, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources awarded the French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust $159,700 of grant funding to develop a program for lawn conversion and streamside tree planting on properties permanently protected by the Trust.

Property owners whose lands are protected with a voluntary Conservation Easement held by French & Pickering and meet the eligibility criteria can receive technical assistance and up to 80% of costs covered to convert their lawns to native meadows and plant native trees along streams.

French & Pickering will connect landowners with local expert restoration contractors who will perform site preparation, plantings, and most importantly, several years of post-planting maintenance.  

“Diverse native plant communities are critical for pollinators and birds, and forested buffers along streams prevent erosion and improve water quality” noted Karl Russek, French & Pickering’s Conservation Coordinator. “As the holder of nearly 200 easements on over 7,500 acres of land in northern Chester County, French & Pickering is uniquely placed to bring in expertise and resources to assist our landowners with improving the conservation value of their properties.”  

French & Pickering and its partners will also focus on managing invasive plants and deer impacts. The program will use native plant species as part of a larger effort to protect and expand the range of some of the state’s most under-represented species.

French & Pickering anticipates 2024 will be the inaugural year of an annual program. Additional support for this program is provided by the Essential Foundation. 

Contact Karena DiLeo at kdileo@frenchandpickering.org  if you would like to learn more about participating in the program.

Visit DCNR’s Lawn Conversion Program webpage for more on this program.

To learn more about land conservation, visit the French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust website.

(Photo: Adding trees to landscapes, like these planted at French & Pickering’s Thomas P. Bentley Nature Preserve, aid in environmental restoration efforts.)

Related Articles:

-- Western PA Conservancy Protects 410 Acres Of Forestland Along Clear Creek In Somerset County; Land Added To Forbes State Forest  [PaEN]

-- Natural Lands Announced Acquisition Of 46 Acres For Use As A Park In Aston Township, Delaware County  [PaEN]

-- WeConservePA: New GIS Dashboard Displays 20 Years Of Land Trust Land Conservation Information

-- WeConservePA: Schuylkill River Trail's Auburn Gap Closes With Opening Of Auburn Bridge In Schuylkill County  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Awards Grant To French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust For Lawn Conversion, Streamside Tree Planting In Chester County  [PaEN]

-- US DOT Awards Pennsylvania $840,000 To Develop Statewide Wildlife Crossings Plan  [PaEN]

[Posted: December 6, 2023]

12/11/2023