Lehigh Valley Sustainable Landscapes

Lehigh Valley Sustainable Lands PartnershipLehigh Valley Sustainable Landscapes Bus Tour 2010

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Polk Valley Park, Lower Saucon Township

Silver Creek Country Club, Hellertown and Lower Saucon Township

Green Pond Wetland, Bethlehem Township

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Hellertown

Butztown

Bethlehem

Palmer

Wilson

Glendon

NazarethTatamy

Belfast

Martins Creek

Lower Saucon

Easton

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Newlins Mill Road ParkPalmer Towsnship

Jacobsburg Evironmental Education Center,Jacobsburg State Park

PPL-Martins CreekEnvironmental

Preserve

Welcome Center,Lower Mt Bethel Township

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Thanks to Erin Frederick of Lehigh County Conservation District for the site map (left).

Welcome!This bus tour is brought to you by the Lehigh Valley Sustainable Lands Partnership, a group of local and state government agencies, conservation non-profits and land management professionals interested in educating municipal officials, park managers, landscape designers and others about the importance of balancing human land uses with natural resource protection.

Formed in 2007 as part of a larger initiative by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the Lehigh Valley group hosted a sustainable parks conference at DeSales University in 2008, developed a brochure on Conservation Industrial Parks in 2010 and continues to work on a variety of outreach efforts throughout the Lehigh Valley.

Other Sustainable Lands Partnerships have formed in south-central Pa. and the Poconos region, with future plans to expand to the western part of the state. These groups work in conjunction with DCNR and each other to expand the use of environmentally-friendly land design and maintenance practices throughout the Commonwealth.

If you are interested in becoming part of the partnership, helping to plan future events and educational materials, please contact: Jessica Sprajcar at jsprajcar@state.pa.us.

Lehigh Valley Sustainable Lands PartnershipCommittee

Keynote Speaker

Site Hosts

Sherry Acevedo, Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage CorridorKate Brandes, Bushkill Stream Conservancy, Nurture Nature FoundationTim Dugan, DCNR Department of ForestryErin Frederick, Lehigh County Conservation District, Upper Saucon Township EACSally Just, Office of Conservation Science, DCNRRebecca Kennedy, Lehigh County Conservation DistrictDan Kunkle, Lehigh Gap Nature CenterJohn Mauser, Martins Jacoby Watershed AssociationKeri Maxfield, Saucon Creek Watershed Association, Nurture Nature FoundationJessica Sprajcar, Office of Conservation Science, DCNREmelie Swackhamer, Penn State Cooperative ExtensionBill Sweeney, Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, DCNRJim Wilson, Northampton County Conservation DistrictSandra Yerger, Heritage Conservancy, Lower Saucon Township Council

Silver Creek Country ClubRebecca Kennedy, Lehigh County Conservation DistrictJim Wilson, Northampton County Conservation District

Polk Valley ParkTom Maxfield, Lower Saucon Township Council, Planning Commission, Environmental Advisory CouncilSandra Yerger, Heritage Conservancy, Lower Saucon Township Council, Environmental Advisory Council

Newlins Mill Road ParkKate Brandes, Bushkill Stream Conservancy, Nurture Nature FoundationJason Smith, Hanover Engineering

PPL Cedars PavilionFed Gast, PPLTim Dugan, DCNR Department of Forestry

LMBT Welcome CenterFed Gast, PPLTim Dugan, DCNR Department of Forestry

Jacobsburg Environmental Education CenterBill Sweeney, Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, DCNRRick Wiltraut, Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, DCNR

Green Pond WetlandBill Sweeney, Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, DCNRRick Wiltraut, Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center, DCNR

Deana Zosky, CPA, Co-Chair Renew Lehigh Valley, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission Board of Directors, and a former Commissioner from Lower Macungie Township.

This Lehigh Valley Greenways project was funded in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Growing Greener EnvironmentalStewardship Fund, administered by the D&L NHC Inc.

A very special thank you to Sally Just and Jessica Sprajcar of the DCNR Office of Conservation Science, Harrisburg, PA, whose leadership, guidance and organization have been the key to three years of successful projects by the Lehigh Valley Sustainable Lands Partnership.

MAXFIELD DESIGN 2010

BOROUGH OF HELLERTOWN & LOWER SAUCON TOWNSHIP

Forming partnerships to help the community.

The Lehigh and Northampton County Conservation District are partnering to carry out this project with the Saucon Creek Watershed Association and the Country Club. This project is being funded by two grants from the PADEP and the DCNR through the D&L Heritage Corridor. Additional grant funding requests are still pending. Significant in-kind contributions are being made by the golf course, and by the project partners. The Borough of Hellertown and Lower Saucon Township are also contributing in-kind assistance.

“The Silver Creek Country Club management and Board of Directors have been very supportive of this project. The Club has had a long history of incorporating the natural environment into their grounds...”

The Silver Creek Country Club, located in Lower Saucon Township and the Borough of Hellertown, was founded in the late 1940’s by Bethlehem Steel for its managers. In 1986, the members collectively bought the club from Bethlehem Steel; the Club is still member-owned. The Silver Creek, a tributary to the Saucon Creek, runs through the center of the 27-hole golf course, entering the course just below Reservoir Road, and flowing under East Depot Street into the Borough of Hellertown’s Dimmick Park.

Severe flooding has occurred historically on the Silver Creek; in 2004, a severe storm caused significant bank erosion on the golf course, and caused severe damage to the pool and several structures on the immediately downstream Dimmick Park.

During the field work for the Saucon Creek Management Plan, published in 2009, the golf course indicated interest in carrying out a restoration project on the Silver Creek. This was an excellent opportunity to restore a significant length of stream – over 4700 feet of the Silver Creek flows through the golf course. Based upon recommendations from the Saucon Creek Plan, a restoration project was developed that would focus on two main objectives: stabilizing the stream banks with native plants designed to improve water quality and add habitat, and increasing the flood plain capacity to reduce the severity of future flood events. Some areas will be landscaped in low-growing grasses so as not to interfere with the golf play after the project is complete, while others will be planted in wildflowers, native shrubs, and trees.

Silver Creek Country Club

Before

After

Because the flood plain restoration and riparian buffer enhancement project affectedfive holes on the course, Lehigh County Conservation District staff used creative ways to visually simulate the changes (below) so that Board Members would see how their golf course would change before the project began.

This site sponsored by Silver Creek Country Club whosecooperation as morning host for this bus tour is greatly appreciated.

The Silver Creek Country Club management and Board of Directors have been very supportive of this project. The Club has had a long history of incorporating the natural environment into their grounds, with bird boxes and natural areas throughout the course. The major concern, naturally, was to make sure that golf play was not affected negatively by the restoration project. But these concerns have largely been alleviated by carefully choosing the types of plantings appropriately. Ongoing outreach to members will take place throughout construction and through the planting phase, to make sure that everyone is comfortable with the changes.

Construction on the project is scheduled to begin in the Fall of 2010, and the final plantings are planned to be in place by the Fall of 2011. Stream banks will be excavated to just above the level of the current stream flow, creating a great deal of extra capacity for flood waters. Wetland plants will be established in these areas. Because the stream dries out for a time at the end of every summer, work will be done during either low-flow, or dry stream conditions. Design and permitting of the project has been carried out by the staff of the Lehigh County Conservation District.

Cost Savings:In the long run, the Club can expect significant savings from not having to mow this area (a total of over 3 acres). However, over the next two to three years, the newly-established riparian buffer will have to be treated to control invasive plants.

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Park planners took advantage of the need to “terrace” the athletic fields; some sloped areas are now used as seating, providing a perfect viewing point for field games. Other slopes feature planted buffers.

Partners in Stewardship:

LOWER SAUCON TOWNSHIP

A perfect marriage between active and passive recreation while maintaining

environmental integrity.

Polk Valley Park is a 59 acre, multi-community recreational facility situated in central Lower Saucon Township. The original purchase by the township was a sloped 47.5 acre farm tract being maintained by a local family. In 2006, an adjacent 11.5 acre site was added to the park. This tract contained a farm house and slightly sloped acreage, and added additional road frontage to the park. The site is located near the Saucon Valley School District campus, and connection trails are planned for student access.

In 2003, newly elected officials made the decision to “green” the original design.

Redesign of key elements included:• greening of the detention ponds with native plantings,• constructing infiltration beds in parking lots,• using pervious materials in parking lots and walkways,• removal of hardscape seating and stairs in favor of natural solutions,• planning meadows and habitats with minimal trails,• installing natural planted swales and slopes,• and using native plantings throughout the park.

Challenges:Challenges in designing the site into a fully-functioning, multi-purpose park were the terrain and other existing features and structures, such as a farmhouse and accessory buildings at the lower part of the site, that were to be preserved.

Challenges included:• steeply sloped topography,• carbonate geology at the lower portions of the site,• a creek, wetlands and existing drainage ways,• two mine holes with undetermined contents,• and the desire of the community to provide for as many types of recreation as possible.

Polk Valley Park

Community Leaders at Groundbreaking Ceremony, April 2005

Cost Savings:Lower Saucon enjoyed significant savings by using pervious cement for trails rather than macadam or pervious macadam (see below right.) A cut-and-fill technique also reduced the need for additional soil when constructing the athletic fields on the slopes. Mowing costs are less, due to native grass plantings in swales and slopes, and because of the establishment of meadow areas near trails.

Lower Saucon Township has also implemented an Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPM, OPM) that specifies organic treatments for fields and park areas. Polk Valley Park offers 3 multi-purpose athletic fields, 2 baseball fields, walking trails and paths, wildlife habitat, and a dog park. The park avoids any lighting in order to remain neighborhood-friendly and to maintain dark skies. Park usage policies follow environmentally-friendly standards.

Polk Valley Park contains an extensive system of both paved trails and natural paths for walking and biking. The 1 ¼ mile bike/walking trail at Polk Valley Park was surfaced by the Township Public Works Department utilizing a pervious concrete paving material which permits rain and storm water runoff to percolate through it rather than flow to surrounding areas or storm drains. The use of pervious concrete is among the Best Management Practices (BMP) recommended by the EPA and other agencies for the management of stormwater runoff on a regional and local basis. Because of its open cell structure, pervious concrete reduces the reflection of heat into the atmosphere. Unlike asphalt, it also absorbs much less heat from the sun (50% to 75%). When it rains it does not heat the storm water runoff like asphalt, which eventually heats the bodies of water into which it is discharged. Pervious concreteis a sustainable paving material, with a life expectancy equal to that of regular concrete.

Use of the pervious concrete material rather than asphalt for the park paving saved the Township over$20,000.

Pervious Concrete:

On June 2, 2010, the Lower Saucon Township Council adopted a Pest Management Policy that will be utilized on all Township-owned properties. The Pest Management Policy, which was created over a period of two (2) years by Township staff & consultants working with the Township Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) and Parks and Recreation Board, is the first municipal pest management policy adopted in this region of the state. It uses a variety of non-toxic alternatives, in combination with commonsense practices, to control or eliminate pest problems. The goal of the policy is to eliminate the use of certain chemical pesticides on all Township properties, either by Township employees or contractors, and to encourage residents to employ similar pesticide elimination methods.

It is the policy of Lower Saucon Township to focus on long-term pest prevention and give non-chemical methods first consideration when selecting treatment strategies. The full range of alternatives, including no action, will be considered first. If chemicals would need to be used to control a pest, the least toxic material will be chosen and, second, non-pesticide techniques will be established to mitigate the pests, if the pests should reoccur. To read more about the policy go to www.lowersaucontownship.org

Pest Management:

This site sponsored by Boucher and James, Inc.

Understanding your community’s needs is key to creating a park that is both the best use of land and money. The Dog Park at Polk Valley is one of the park’s most-used facilities. Here, dogs and their people can meet like-minded friends from the neighborhood as well as from many miles away as dog owners seek out this special place to roam and play.

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PALMER TOWNSHIP

Bushkill Stream Conservancy has worked together with Palmer Township to create a constructed wetland storm water filtration pond, riparian areas and meadows in a newly established park near Newlins Mill Road, along the Bushkill Creek. The park sits next to the Mill Race housing development and includes ball fields and a play ground. It is also adjacent to a new trail system that runs along the creek and connects nearby municipalities.

This project is unique in that it interfaces the manicured community of the Mill Race development and ball fields with naturalized landscapes. The Bushkill Stream Conservancy chose this site to work in cooperation with Palmer Township in part because the location attracts an array of public visitors and therefore provides an opportu-nity to educate about sustainable landscaping and lawn alternatives, as well as better ways to treat stormwater runoff for the betterment of the Bushkill Creek.

Establishment of the meadows has been the biggest challenge at the site. The first three to five years of meadow installation require maintenance and management. Palmer Township has been very supportive of the Stream Conservancy’s efforts to install the meadows and has taken the lead in herbicide application at the direction of Bushkill Stream Conservancy member Stevie Daniels who has authored several publications including The Wild Lawn Handbook: Alternatives to the Traditional Front Lawn (Macmillan, 1995) and a new brochure for the Bushkill Stream Conservancy titled Managing Meadows in Southeastern Pennsylvania (2010).

The community concerns at the site have been minimal; however, the Stream Conservancy is currently developing signage for the site in partnership with Lafayette College to better communicate the project objectives. The Stream Conservancy has also done a number of educational events including a “Meet the Meadow” walk with Stevie and a Streamkeeper Project that included outreach and education to all of the residents of the Mill Race Development. These residents were presented with various educational materials about the Bushkill Creek and sustainable practices and were asked to become a Streamkeeper by agreeing to implement at least one conservation practice on their property.

Both the constructed storm water wetland and the meadows were designed and installed with the help of consultants. Maintenance has been conducted by Bushkill Stream Conservancy and Palmer Township. The riparian buffers are a joint project between the Stream Conservancy, Trout Unlimited and the township. A Lafayette College conservation biology class chose the meadow sites to begin a yearly accounting of all of the plant species in the meadows. This data will be used by both the students and the Stream Conservancy to document how the meadow plants change from one year to the next under the management strategies that are in place.

Newlins Mill Road Park

Reducing areas that require mowing and establishing more naturalized landscapes can help protect water quality by preventing erosion and scour due to high velocity waters. The stems and leaves of the plants filter sediment and pollutants from overland flow.

Considerations for Municipalities:• Review and ammend existing weed ordinances that might prevent the establishment of meadows or naturalized “no-mow” areas.• Adopt model ordinances that protect riparian and natural areas (see LVPC woodland, riparian, floodplain, and steep slope ordinances, www.lvpc.org)

Landscaping for clean water.

Excerpt from Establishing Streamside Buffer Areas in Your Park or Community, Kate Brandes, Bushkill Stream Conservancy. www.bushkill.org

The site before work began (above). Members of the Bushkill Stream Conservancy who help maintain the site (below).

Go native! Landscaping using native plants is especially beneficial. Native plants can be better acclimated to weather and soil conditions and require less maintenance, pesticides and fertilizers. They are also an integral part of the local wildlife life cycle.

This site sponsored by Hanover Engineering Associates, Inc.

Challenges:

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This site sponsored by PPL Electric Utilities who also generously donated your lunch today.

Cedar Pavilion

Trail Map215 acres preserved

5 miles of wooded hiking trails

The middle Delaware River has been designated by Congress as a Wild and Scenic River.

PPL welcomes you to the serene landscapes and relaxing trails of the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve located on the banks of the scenic Delaware River. The 215-acre environmental preserve borders PPL's Martins Creek and Lower Mount Bethel power plants. It's a prime example of how industry and nature can coexist.

The preserve boasts five miles of wooded hiking trails with views of the middle Delaware River, which has been designated by Congress as a Wild and Scenic River. Hikers can view the woodlands, geological formations and wildflowers found on the west bank of the river. PPL's Martins Creek Environmental Preserve offers a variety of outdoor activities ranging from nature study and education to hiking, boating and fishing. Canoes and kayaks are welcome on the Delaware River. The boat launch and picnic area is located south (downstream) of the Martins Creek power plant.

The river current near Martins Creek is considered moderate. However, the Foul Rift rapids are located a short one-quarter mile upstream from the power plant. The rapids prevent upstream boat travel from the access area. An inscription on a rock near Foul Rift reads, "R + Hoopes 1791 cleared these falls." This proud proclamation is a testament to the difficulty of navigating the Foul Rift rapids. Dropping more than 22 feet in less than a half mile, the Foul Rift is one of the most dangerous sections of the river. The rapid was created by the river running over a massive ledge of limestone. Depending on the season and the water level, trying to kayak or canoe through the rapids can be very risky due to the sharp rock formations.

According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the section of the Delaware River near Martins Creek is a seasonal "hot spot" for shad and smallmouth bass in May and for walleye in November. Muskie and pickerel can also be caught in this area.

The Martins Creek Environmental Preserve is PPL's newest environmental preserve, having been designated in July 2001. But the Tekening Hiking Trails go back many years. The name "Tekening" (pronounced tek-en-ing) comes from the Lenni Lenapi Indians, who used to frequent this area. The word means "in the wood."

For more than two decades, the public has been welcome to hike, bicycle and walk on the 215 acres of land that PPL purchased as a buffer for its Martins Creek power plant. The Tekening Trails consist of a five-mile network of four pathways through fields and forests along the Delaware River. Each trail is marked by color.

The longest, the Blue or Scenic River Trail, hugs the Delaware for 2.1 miles between Foul Rift Road and the village of Riverton opposite Belvidere, N.J. This trail is the most scenic. It passes by the rugged Foul Rift rapids and forested vistas beyond. The Orange or Ridge Trail follows the higher ground 1.3 miles past rocky out- croppings and farm fields. The rows of fieldstones on the Red or Woodland Trail once marked the boundaries of early settlers' farmlands. The homesteads have long since reverted to forest. The Yellow Trail provides a convenient loop for brief walks from Foul Rift Road.

LOWER MT BETHEL TOWNSHIP

PPL owns and operates the Martins Creek and Lower Mount Bethel Energy power plants, and the Interstate Energy pipeline terminal and oil tank farm in Lower Mount Bethel Township.

PPL partners with the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, Lower Mount Bethel Township and the Martins Jacoby Watershed Association in supporting preservation efforts in the region. PPL donated nine acres to Lower Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County, for a welcome center, and a total of $75,000 in support of its construction.

The land donated by PPL is along the Martins Creek-Belvidere Highway near the township’s recreational fields at Riverton — land that PPL also donated to the township. It is also near the north end of the Tekening Trails, a 5-mile network of scenic hiking trails through the woods and along the Delaware River.

This project complements the 215 acres PPL has set aside in the township for wildlife habitat, land preservation and public recreation.

A variety of species call the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve home. The trails pass through a variety of habitats. They pass beneath the last remaining stands of old-growth forest in Northampton County, and they travel through former farm fields and pastures that the woods have reclaimed. The wildlife has enjoyed the return of the meadows and woods. It's a wonderful place to watch for bluebirds, indigo bunting, scarlet tanager, cedar waxwing and a variety of woodpeckers, owls and hawks, as well as turkey, rabbits, deer and coyote.

Habitat:

Partners in Stewardship:

PPL Martins Creek Environmental Preserve

It's a prime example of how industry and nature can coexist.

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The Lower Mount Bethel Township (LMBT) Welcome Center is located in the small village of Riverton in Lower Mount Bethel Township just across the Delaware River from Belvidere, New Jersey. The 1600 square foot building is designed to be environmentally friendly with high insulation values in the walls and ceilings, a green patio roof, and solar panels on the roof among other features. A native plant garden surrounds the entrance to the building. The green patio roof is planted with a variety of sedum plants. The building which was funded by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission and PPL serves as an environmental education center as well as a visitor center.

LMBT Welcome CenterLOWER MOUNT BETHEL TOWNSHIP

Educating by example.

The inside of the building has tourism and environmental displays including a fourteen foot high map of the Delaware River watershed in the display room and a eleven foot high topographical map of the Martins-Jacoby watershed in the lobby. The exterior of the building has a map of the immediate area showing the PPL Tekening Trails and the newly created Lower Mount Bethel Trail System. The combined trail systems connect the villages of Riverton and Del Haven with a total length of over 8 miles.

The LMBT Welcome Center features an environmental education classroom (right). Here, the Nurture Nature

Foundation holds a forum on local flooding. Photo courtesy of Jose Leon.

An eleven foot high topographical map of the Martins Jacoby Watershed (right) greets

visitors in the lobby of the Welcome Center.

The Welcome Center, athletic fields, and Park & Ride lot were constructed using Best Management Practices for storm water. The green roof has the ability to store some water for use by the plants and directs surplus water via down spouts and underground piping to a storm water infiltration device which promotes ground water infiltration. All runoff from surrounding land areas is directed by sod waterways to a man made wetlands and a permanent pond. The Park & Ride lot drains all water to the center of the lot which consists of various shaped rain gardens. The rain gardens have raised drainage systems which permit the water to pond, drain into the soil, and to be taken up by the native plants. Once the water rises to a certain level the overflow is taken by an under ground pipe system to either the wetland and pond area or to another area to promote ground water infiltration. All storm water is managed on site. In the original engineering plans, storm water was to be piped to the Delaware River. The cost of piping storm water from the site to the Delaware River was about $69,000 while the cost to manage the storm water on site by means of a wetlands and pond area was a little under $7,000.

The Park & Ride lot (below) was specifically designed and planted to capture and filter stormwater runoff from the lot.

• green roof• rain gardens• man-made wetlands• recreation fields• hiking trails

This site co-sponsored by ceramic artist Steve de Perrot and the Martins Jacoby Watershed Association.

Pots by de Perrot

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BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIPGreen Pond WetlandProviding critical habitat.

The Green Pond Wetland is privately owned property located in the southwestern corner of the Bushkill Creek Watershed, on Green Pond Road, in northeastern Bethlehem Township. Most of this site is an agricultural field. While only a small section of the property is technically wetland—land with hydric soils and a prevalence of hydric vegetation—the northern end of the site along Green Pond Road is composed of Clarksburg soils, which form in depressions and drainageways, where ponding is common during periods of heavy rain and spring thaws. Several acres in the northwestern corner of the site are subject to frequent ponding during these times, and due to slow permeability of the soil there, this site often holds surface water long after rain events throughout the year.

This situation makes this site one of the best areas for migratory shore birds and waterfowl in the Lehigh Valley. Many of these birds remain for days or a week or more during spring migration, feeding in the soft mud of the ponded field. It is an especially important stopover for shorebirds, as it provides a place where they can refuel and build up the body fat they need to complete the long journey north to their Arctic and sub-Arctic breeding grounds. Over the years, the ponded field at this site has attracted at least 20 species of shorebirds; including such rarities as American Avocet, Wilson’s Phalarope and Red-necked Phalarope. Sometimes, flocks of Least Sandpipers reach

over 100 individuals at this site. On one occasion, a flock of 11 Glossy Ibis were seen here, the largest flock ever recorded in the Lehigh Valley. Another time, a Sandhill Crane spent an entire winter at this site, which, at the time, was the longest recorded stay of a Sandhill Crane in Pennsylvania during wintertime.

The ponded field at this site has also attracted more than 20 species of migratory waterfowl over the years. Over 100 Northern Pintails have been seen here at one time, and large numbers of Green-winged Teal have been recorded here. The first county record of the rare Ross’s Goose came from this site, and the only county record of Barnacle Goose was recorded here. Additionally, Greater White-fronted Goose has also been seen here. And this site is presently one of the largest staging areas for Lesser Black-backed Gulls in North America, with counts of over 200 individuals at a time. Occasion-ally, terns are seen here after storms. Once, a Royal Tern was seen at this site, the only record for Northampton County, and one of only a few records for Pennsylvania.

While slow soil permeability and a seasonal high water table are limiting factors for land use at the site, this property has been under development pressure for years. The site is owned by Green Pond

Golf Course Inc., which operates a public golf course nearby, and leases the field to a local farmer. Plans for a large residential housing development and golf course expansion at the site were withdrawn in recent years. Much more recently; however, plans for another large residential subdivision at this site have been submitted to the Bethlehem Township Planning Commission for review. The earlier plans called for large, conventional stormwater detention basins to be constructed in the area of the ponded field. If stormwater facilities are proposed for the same area in the most recently submitted develop-ment plans, the use of green site design and green stormwater best management practices for preserving the valuable habitat here would be ideal. A combination of green stormwater controls, like constructed wetlands, wet ponds and other green practices would provide critical habitat for the migratory birds that are dependent on this site, while effectively managing stormwater for people who might one day live here. The cost savings and ecological benefits of green stormwater practices over conventional stormwater controls are well documented. These benefits could be real incentives for both the developer and the municipality involved in the most recently proposed development project at this site.

American Avocet Barnacle Goose Royal Tern Least SandpiperNorthern Pintail

Munsonwww.gobirding.eu Wilson HumGene Oleynik James Smith

Photo courtesy of Rick Wiltraut

BUSHKILL TOWNSHIP

Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center

Balancing education, recreation and natural resource protection.

This site sponsored by Secor Associates, Inc.

The Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center is one of 118 Pennsylvania State parks managed by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This 1,168 acre site includes over 2 miles of stream front and offers a variety of outdoor recreational and educational opportunities on a diverse landscape ranging from warm season grass meadows to vernal pools and ancient Old Growth forests.

Diverse wildlife populations coexist with over 20 miles of multiple use trails used by anglers, hunters, hikers, bikers, and equestrian users. Visitors will see completed ecological restoration projects while learning about park invasive species management practices and our greenway preservation efforts designed to protect critical habitats north of the park that serve as biological greenways keeping Jacobsburg ‘s wildlife populations connected to the Kittatinny Ridge.

Heavy foot traffic at popular crossing and trail areas within the park had damaged sensitive wildlife habitat and caused streambank erosion along the Bushkill Creek.

Restoration projects included the installation of split rail fences to guide visitors away from sensitive and newly planted areas. The streambank was restabilized and planted to stop erosion; keeping harmful sediment from entering the creek.

Photos courtesy of the Bushkill Stream Conservancy

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