Wildlands Conservancy has acquired a conservation easement permanently protecting more than 1,147 acres of forested land in Carbon County, expanding protected water authority lands and safeguarding headwaters of the Lehigh River.

The Emmaus-based nonprofit land trust announced the acquisition May 27. The property, located in Penn Forest Township, borders lands already owned and managed by the Lehighton Water Authority and the Bethlehem Water Authority.

Pine Run and its tributaries run through the property. The streams are recognized as exceptional value waterways and serve as headwaters to the Lehigh River. The land also encompasses portions of a state-designated Natural Heritage Area and an Important Bird Area, designations that reflect high rankings for biodiversity and the presence of rare plants and animals.

“Protecting critical lands like this is vital to upholding water quality for communities across and throughout the region, as well as beyond,” Wildlands Conservancy President Chris Kocher said. “When we keep natural areas like this intact, we uphold the integrity nature intended for the landscape.”

A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust. The arrangement permanently limits development on the property while allowing the landowner to retain ownership and use of the land. With the addition of this easement, Wildlands now holds more than 80 conservation easements and monitors more than 10,000 acres annually.

The acquisition was made possible through support from the Carbon County Open Space Program, the Open Space Institute and the Lehighton Water Authority.

Carbon County’s involvement stems from its Open Space Grant Program, which grew out of a 2022 voter referendum.

“The Open Space Grant Program accepted its first applications in the fall of 2024, thanks to funding from the November 2022 Open Space Bond Referendum, which received 83% of voter support to preserve water resources, wildlife habitat, and working farms in Carbon County,” the Carbon County Board of Commissioners and Open Space Advisory Board said in a statement. “This project will be the county’s second open space project, and the county looks forward to protecting more open space in the future.”

The Lehighton Water Authority, which has managed forested land in the county for more than a century, also backed the project.

“Lehighton Water Authority has been stewarding some of the most precious forested lands in Carbon County for over 100 years, and we are glad to know that this conservation easement will help preserve our water resources for generations to come,” the authority’s board said.

The Open Space Institute contributed funding through its Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund. Launched in 2014 with support from the William Penn Foundation’s Delaware River Watershed Initiative, the fund has protected nearly 29,000 acres of forested land in the Delaware River Basin — a drinking water source for approximately 15 million people, including residents of northeastern Pennsylvania and cities including Philadelphia; Trenton, New Jersey; Wilmington, Delaware; and New York City.

“Forests help capture and store rainwater, recharge groundwater supplies, and filter water flowing to streams and wells that provide clean drinking water,” said Bill Rawlyk, OSI’s senior Mid-Atlantic program manager. “Protecting these intact forests will maintain high water quality in the Upper Lehigh River watershed while also providing public access and recreational opportunities — a true win-win for the residents of the Lehigh Valley.”

Founded in 1973, Wildlands Conservancy has protected more than 60,000 acres and operates 14 nature preserves totaling more than 2,800 acres. The organization also provides environmental education to thousands of students and families each year.

“This permanent land protection is a win not just for precious plants, birds, and a diversity of wildlife, but everyone who calls the Lehigh Valley and Lehigh River watershed home,” Kocher said.