FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

North Branch Land Trust

Karley Stasko, Director of Marketing & Development

stasko@nblt.org | info@nblt.org | 570-310-1781

North Branch Land Trust Receives Grant From PPL Foundation
For “Protecting A Pennsylvania Imperiled Habitat”

(Dallas, Pa.) – North Branch Land Trust is pleased to announce it has received a $3,500 grant from the PPL Foundation for their project “Protecting a Pennsylvania Imperiled Habitat”. These funds will support the advancement of the Land Trust’s conservation efforts in Hazle Township and the City of Hazleton.

This grant provides North Branch Land Trust the opportunity to begin its next phase in conserving the rare Acidic Ridgetop Barrens ecosystem in and around their Butler Preserve in southern Luzerne County. This unique landscape, recognized for its rare, threatened, and endangered species, is now receiving a boost in conservation efforts in a renewed partnership with the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program and WeConservePA.

Butler Preserve is not only crucial for conservation but also serves residents in Hazleton and Hazle Township, offering a green space for hiking and biking on a portion of the Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails. This project will also have a broader impact on natural heritage areas across Northeastern Pennsylvania, supporting regional and state conservation efforts.

North Branch Land Trust Executive Director, Ellen Ferretti:

“Butler Preserve, and the greater Acidic Ridgetop Barrens, not only require conservation, but also mindful stewardship. This grant will not only support the Land Trust’s care for Butler Preserve, but also allow us to connect with landowners in the region who want to do more to protect these special landscapes.”

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Natural Heritage Program Science Director, Ephraim Zimmerman: 

“The Butler Preserve and the area around is found within a natural habitat known as the Pitch Pine – Scrub Oak Woodland – part of the Acidic Ridgetop Barren ecosystem, which is rare in Pennsylvania. This area supports a number of unique plant and animal species adapted to these rocky ridges in the Appalachian Mountains. Protection of the rare species and habitats within this large landscape takes many partners – from conservation organizations, to state agencies, and landowners – and this project will help guide future collaborative efforts and conservation decisions.”

About North Branch Land Trust
North Branch Land Trust partners with landowners, communities, and stakeholders to conserve and care for Northeastern Pennsylvania’s lands and waters. North Branch Land Trust is a nonprofit organization conserving land in an eight-county region of Northeastern Pennsylvania (Bradford, Susquehanna, Sullivan, Wayne, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Columbia) in the Upper Susquehanna and Lehigh Watersheds. Learn more at nblt.org

About the PPL Foundation 

The PPL Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization formed to support community initiatives in the areas served by PPL Corporation’s utilities. Through strategic partnerships, the PPL Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that are engaged in innovative and groundbreaking work to create vibrant, sustainable communities; advance diversity, equity and inclusion; and support children’s success from cradle to career in both Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Learn more at pplcares.com.

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