FRENCH AND PICKERING CREEKS CONSERVATION TRUST INC

FRENCH AND PICKERING CREEKS CONSERVATION TRUST HAS WORKED WITH LANDOWNERS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERS, TO PRESERVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE ENVIRONMENT OF NORTHERN CHESTER COUNTY. SINCE 1967, FRENCH & PICKERING HAS HELPED PERMANENTLY PROTECT OVER 13,600 ACRES INCLUDING LANDS PURCHASED AND TRANSFERRED FOR STATE GAME LANDS, STATE PARKS, COUNTY PARKS AND MUNICIPAL PARKS. CURRENTLY FRENCH & PICKERING HOLDS APPROXIMATELY 200 CONSERVATION EASEMENTS OVER 7,892 ACRES AND OWNS AND MANAGES 890 ACRES HELD IN FEE OWNERSHIP COMPRISED OF 28 PARCELS INCLUDING TWO SIGNATURE PRESERVES WITH EXTENSIVE TRAILS, FREE PARKING, AND A VARIETY OF NATURAL FEATURES AND WILDLIFE. ALL LANDS ARE MONITORED ANNUALLY BY FRENCH & PICKERING STAFF TO ASSIST LANDOWNERS WITH THEIR LAND MANAGEMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP. CONTINUED ON SCH O.IN 2024 OVER 3,000 NATIVE TREES AND SHRUBS WERE PLANTED ACROSS WARWICK AND EAST NANTMEAL TOWNSHIPS AND THE FOLLOWING 6 CONSERVATION EASEMENT AND ONE CONSERVATION EASEMENT AMENDMENT WERE COMPLETED:1) A 6.3 ACRE VOLUNTARY AND PERMANENT LAND PROTECTION EASEMENT WAS COMPLETED WITH GREG AND SHANNON NESSPOR IN CHARLESTOWN TOWNSHIP. THE PROPERTY IS VISIBLE FROM PICKLAND AND HOLLOW ROADS, IS A SOURCE OF CLEAN COOL WATER FROM SEEPS AND SPRINGS THROUGHOUT THE PROPERTY PROVIDING AN INFLUX OF HIGH-QUALITY WATER AND AQUATIC HABITAT TO HEADWATERS OF THE PICKERING CREEK. THE OWNERS ARE ALREADY WORKING WITH FRENCH AND PICKERING TO IMPROVE THE CREEKWSIDE HABITAT BY PLANTING A VARIETY OF TREES SUPPLIED BY THE KEYSTONE TEN MILLION TREES PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHESTER COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT. 2) A 4.6 ACRE VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION EASEMSENT WAS COMPLETED WITH GEORGE AND MARTHA EDWARDS TO PERMANTLY PRESERVE THEIR PROPERTY LOCATED IN WEST VINCENT TOWNSHIP. HIGHLY VISIBLE FROM ROUTE 100, THEIR PROPERTY IS LOCATED NEAR THE HEADWATERS OF BEAVER RUN WHICH IS DESIGNATED AS AN EXCEPTIONAL VALUE TRIBUTARY TO FRENCH CREEK. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PARCEL FAR EXCEEDS ITS SIZE DUE TO ITS RIPARIAN BUFFERING QUALITIES AND ITS LOCATION WITHIN A MOSAIC OF PROTECTED LANDS THAT SPANS BOTH EAST NANTMEAL AND WEST VINCENT TONWSHIPS.3) A FARMSTERAD WITH OVER 55 ACRES AND HIGHLY VISIBLE FORESTED RIDGELINE WAS PERMANENTLY PRESERVED IN NORTH COVENTRY TOWNSHIP NEAR THE HEADWATERS OF PIGEON CREEK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LATE JULIA KIRLIN AND HER GRANDDAUGHTER ALLISON MANLEY. THE SITE HOSTS AN ABUNDANCE OF WILDLIFE AND SERVES AS AN IMPORTANT WILDLIFE CORRIDOR BETWEEN THE 700+ ACRES COVENTRY WOODS PRESERVE IN NORTH COVENTRTY TOWNSHP AND THE 200+ ACRE WOODY'S WOODS PRESERVE IN SOUTH COVENTRY TOWNSHIP. THIS PROJECT WAS GENEROUSLY FUNDED BY THE CHESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND NORTH COVENTRY TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS. LOCATED WITHIN THE 73,000 HOPEWELL BIG WOODS, THIS PARCEL IS A KEY COMPONENT OF THE LARGEST INTACT FOREST IN SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLAVANIA.4) AN HISTORIC 24 ACRE FARM IN EAST COVENTRY TOWNSHIP WITH FRONTAGE ON HALTEMAN ROAD AND OVER 1,200 FEET OF PIGEON CREEK, STEEP SLOPES, MATURE HARDWOODS, AND OPEN FARMLAND WILL REMAIN PRIMARILY IN AGRICUTLURAL USE AND CONTINUE TO BE ACTIVELY FARMED WHILE PERMANENTLY PROTECTED WITH A FRENCH AND PICKERING CREEKS CONSERVATION TRUST CONSERVATION EASEMENT. RAY AND KATHLEEN NESTER ARE LONGTIME RESIDENTS OF EAST COVENTRY TOWNSHIP WITH A STONG DESIRE TO SEE THEIR PROPERTY REMAIN PERMANENTLY PROTECTED IN OPEN AND PRODUCTIVE FARM USES WHILE ALSO PROTECTING THE MOST SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROJECT IS INCREASED BY PROVIDING OVER A QUARTER MILE OF PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE TRAIL CONNECTION TO THE 77-ACRE EAST COVENTRY NATURE PRESERVE. THIS PROJECT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE NESTERS, FUNDS FROM THE CHESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESERVATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM AND EAST COVENTRY TOWNSHIP.5) DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO THE NESTER FARM IS THE BILLINGSLEY FARM ON FULMER ROAD, ALSO IN EAST COVENTRY TOWNSHIP. THIS 23-ACRE HISTORIC FARMSTEAD FEATURES ALMOST 1,400 FEET OF PIGEON CREEK AND ITS TRIBUTARIES PASSING THROUGH A FLOODPLAIN FOREST RICH IN PLAN AND ANIMAL DIVERSITY. ROUGHLY 5 ACRES OF THE PROPERTY ARE ACTIVELY FARMED AND WILL REMAIN IN PRODUCTION WHILE ALSO PROTECTING THE MIXED HARDWOOD FOREST AND WILDLIFE UNDER A PERMANENT AND VOLUNTARY FRENCH AND PICKERING CREEKS CONSERVATION TRUST EASEMENT. FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT WAS GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY THER CHESTER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRESERVATION PARTNERSHIUP PROGRAM AND THE EAST COVENTRY TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS.6) IN DECEMBER OF 2024, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BOB AND SHELLEY CASCIATO, SENIOR CONSERVATION ADVISOR PAM BROWN ACCEPTED THE DONATION OF A 10.4 ACRE CONSERVATION EASEMENT ON BEHALF OF FRENCH AND PICKERING CREEKS CONSERVATION TRUST. THIS PROJECT ADDS TO A CONCENTRATION OF CONSERVATION LANDS OF OVER 2,000 ACRES. THIS PROJECT REPRESENTS THE 200TH CRITICAL VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION EASEMENT IN FRENCH AND PICKERING CREEKS CONSERVATION TRUSTS 58 YEAR HISTORY OF PRESERVING AND PERMANENTLY PROTECTING THE MOST SPECIAL AND IMPORTANT PLACES THROUGHOUT NORTHERN CHESTER COUNTY. THE 10.4 ACRE CASCIATO EASEMENT IS SURROUNDED BY OTHER LANDS PERMANTNELY PROTECTED BY FRENCH AND PICKERING IN WEST VINCENT TOWNSHIP.7) A SUBSTANTIVE AND VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION EASEMENT AMENDMENT WAS COMPLETED ON PROPERTY OWNED BY MELISSA & JASON OWENS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHARLESTOWN TOWNSHIP. THE AMENDMENT ON THE 29.6 ACRE EASEMENT REDUCES THE TOTAL IMPERVIOUS SURFACE ALLOWANCE BY 500 SQUARE FEET AND ALLOWS ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY IN AND AROUND THE MINIMAL PROTECTION AREA SUCH THAT LAND DISTURBANCE AND STORMWATER RUNOFF ARE MINIMIZED.THE VOLUNTARY PERMANENT LAND PROTECTION PROJECTS COMPLETED IN 2024 INVOLVED SIGNIFICANT DONATED LAND VALUE AND GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM PUBLIC GRANTS WHICH COUNTED AS REVENUE. THESE FUNDS REIMBURSED EXPENSES AS NEEDED TO COMPLETE THESE LAND PROTECTION TRANSACTIONS WHILE THE LANDOWNERS VOLUNTARY DONATION OF LAND VALUE (ALSO REFERRED TO AS A BARGAIN SALE) DID NOT RESULT IN CASH BEING RECEIVED BY THE ORGANIZATION. FRENCH & PICKERING IS REQUIRED TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS AS REVENUE ACCORDING TO OUR AUDITOR AS PART OF THE ANNUAL AUDIT EVEN THOUGH FRENCH & PICKERING HAS THE PERMENANT RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAKING SURE THE CONSERVATION VALUES OF THESE PROPERTIES ARE PROTECTED IN PERPETUITY.