A total of 2,700 acres of forest and wetlands located near Weatherly will be preserved and opened to the public as part of the Weiser State Forest.

The Wildlands Conservancy announced on Friday that it purchased a property known as the Penrose Swamp Barrens, on behalf of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The property was owned by the estate of the late Pasco L. Schiavo, an attorney and philanthropist from Hazleton.

Schiavo’s sister said she is excited that the land will be available to the public, as her brother wished.

“I am very excited that the Weatherly property my brother Pasco owned will expand Weiser State Forest. He strongly desired that that property be available to the public, and would be pleased to know that the commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be maintaining it as forest to be used by the people of the Hazleton and Weatherly areas for years to come,” she said.

Wildlands, which has preserved over 55,000 acres since it was created in 1973, was interested in the property because it fits with its mission of preserving open space in the Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh River watershed. The organization says the parcel will be key for sustaining clean water for drinking, fishing and recreation along the Lehigh. It includes sections of the Penrose, Beaver and Hazle creeks.

Wildlands President Christopher Kocher said the acquisition will protect precious natural resources for generations to come.

“The creeks it boasts and species it protects readily make a strong case for its preservation, and its benefits for water quality and communities connected to nature will deliver direct and lasting impacts for health, overall well-being, and quality of life,” Kocher said.

DCNR plans to use the property to expand the Weiser State Forest.

Weiser State Forest is made up of 11 separate forested areas located between the Susquehanna River and the Pocono Plateau. One of them is a 958-acre parcel in Penn Forest Township, which is used for hiking, hunting, biking and winter sports.

DCNR hasn’t announced specifics about how the tract will be used for recreation, or when the public will be able to access it.

In a statement, the agency celebrated that the preserved land will provide clean air, pure water, animal habitat and recreation opportunities.

“This acquisition represents an opportunity to protect our ecosystem and expand recreation opportunities in an area where DCNR sees a great need,” said Cindy Adams Dunn, DCNR Secretary.

Wildlands assembled a variety of funding sources for the project; $1 million came from a state grant from DCNR. Additional funding came from the Appalachian Landscape Protection Fund of the Open Space Institute.