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Home , Abrahams Creek, Harveys Creek, Lehigh Gorge Trail, Nescopeck Creek, Pikes Creek

Tunkhannock Creek 7 Greenway Fall Brook Baylors Baylors Lake Natural Area 2 ogether, Lackawanna Agrarian Lands and Luzerne Counties This Plan provides a blueprint 8 MERLI-SARNOSKI in northeastern PARK 8 for protecting, conserving and Brownell encompass almost LACKAWANNA improving: STATE PARK Natural Area 1,400 square miles of mountain Cary Mountain T • Valuable natural resources 1 Highlands 3 ridges, , valleys and Highlands Map Sources: • Ecologically & North Abington Administrative Boundaries - PennDOT meandering waterways about Hydrology - ERRI, NWI, PADEP Open Space, Natural Area STATE GAME 100 miles northwest of New environmentally sensitive LAND 307 Roads - PennDOT Scenic Roads - AAA York City. Originally settled to RABBIT HOLLOW Abington Stewardship - ERRI, County areas WILDLIFE SANCTUARY Natural Area ARCHBALD Trails - Wilkes University take advantage of the area’s POTHOLE STATE GAME N.A.I. - The Nature Conservancy • The network of recreational Greenways & STATE PARK LAND 300 former abundant resource, the region is adapting opportunities to a diverse and multi-faceted Bell Mountain Outdoor Recreation Bell Mountain r ive economy. The effects of growth Highlands R awanna ck and development have been both Summit Lake a L Natural Area STATE GAME positive and negative. Residents now place an increased value on the outstanding Master Plan LAND 300 5 natural features and attractiveness of the area and want to protect these resources Moosic Mountain Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties, 4 Highlands for future generations and attract new businesses, residents and visitors. Pennsylvania Bald Mountain Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties are facing new challenges. As Highlands development continues to extend westward from the Poconos, development pressure MCDADE Moosic Mountain PARK Barrens Natural Area will be placed on existing open spaces in the bi-county area. Already, access to the STEAMTOWN Barrens Natural Area NATIONAL Susquehanna HISTORIC SITE many , and other important natural areas once enjoyed by the public River Greenway is being limited. Areas regarded for their ecological importance in providing critical Elmhurst Custis 6 Perrins Marsh Elmhurst Custis for both plant and animal species are being subjected to fragmentation Natural Area Natural Area from development. As reflected in US Census data, demand for housing is Lake Scranton Potter Creek Greenway Natural Area Natural Area strong and municipalities are struggling with how to achieve a balance between

STATE GAME LAND 12/57 Campbell Ledge MONTAGE SKI growth and protecting valued ecological and natural resources. This Open Space, 10 AND RECREATION RICKETTS GLEN Abrahams Creek Natural Area AREA Greenways and Outdoor Recreation Master Plan is a proactive effort that sets forth STATE PARK Natural Area recommendations for achieving a balance between natural resources and the built PRIVATE FRANCES SLOCUM STATE PARK environment so that the region may continue to thrive and benefit from its rich Kingston Spring Brook COVINGTON PARK Highlands Natural Area Roaring Brook natural, recreational and cultural resources. GLENS NATURAL Natural Area AREA 15 Greenway 23 7 STATE GAME 22 The Importance of Open LAND 206 Space and Greenways Painter Creek STATE GAME STATE GAME Greenway LAND 312 he movement to protect open LAND 206 STATE GAME Natural Area LAND 91 Tspace resources has gained Roaring Brook Wyoming Mountain MOON LarksvilleLarksville MountainMountain HighlandsHighlands Wyoming Mountain increasing support throughout Greenway LAKE 21 PARK SEVEN TUBS Natural Area INHOLDING STATE GAME NATURAL AREA LAND 135 the . Across the Huntington Creek LACKAWANNA LACKAWANNA STATE Greenway STATE FOREST er Existing country, Americans are voting iv R

11 11 18 STATE GAME LAND 91 in favor of measures that

STATE GAME Bear Lake PRIVATE

LAND 91 In-Progress a STATE GAME Natural Area 19 nn support conservation-related Susqueha Wilkes-Barre LAND 292 Mountain Highlands PRIVATE efforts, funding of parks, water 20 Countryside Conservancy Trolley 1 supply protection, and farmland 9 SPRUCE SWAMP Trail NATURAL AREA conservation that will protect 12 STATE GAME 2 Pine Creek Schickshinny Mountain Highlands LAND 207 D&H Trail Pine Creek LACKAWANNA their special places and enhance Greenway Arbutus Peak STATE FOREST D&H Gravity Trail 3 their quality of life. Greenway 17 Natural Area Lackawanna River Heritage Trail 4 Open space and Penobscot Mountain Highlands Folston Pond Bear Creek INHOLDING 16 Folston Pond greenways, including trails, are STATE GAME LAND Natural Area LehighLehigh RiverRiver GreenwayGreenway Pennsylvania Coal Co. Gravity Trail 5 Lily Lake Natural area 119/187 increasingly valued for their contribution in protecting the environment, their value Natural area Roaring Brook Corridor 6 STATE GAME as recreational assets and impact on quality of life, and their role in the fiscal health LAND 260 20 11 Route L Trail (Lackawanna County) 7 of a community. As stated in Local Greenprinting for Growth, a publication by Lee Mountain Lee Mountain Route Y Trail 8 the Trust for Public Land, open space has a number of recognizable and important Highlands Ashley-Planes Trail 9 benefits, including the following: Little Wapwallopen Creek Greenway Trail 10 PRIVATE • Open space is good for the bottom line. Open space investments can save Susquehanna River Black Diamond Trail 11 STATE GAME communities money by reducing infrastructure and public service costs associated Greenway LAND 187 Green Mountain Escarpment Trail 12 with expensive, suburban-style development and bolster local tourism and Highlands Proposed 13 Wapwallopen Gorge Greater Hazleton Rail Trail agriculture economies. Edgewood Pools Conservation Areas Greenway 14 Lehigh Gorge Trail 14 • Open space attracts home buyers. Open space and trails are among the top Natural area community features home buyers look for when choosing a home. East Buck Greenway Luzerne County Rail with Trail 15 INHOLDING Mountain Highlands East Buck • Open space protects public health. Land use practices that create runoff are some STATE GAME Mocanaqua Loop Trail 16 Mountain Highlands LAND 149 Highlands of the biggest threats to public drinking water supplies. As a result, communities Nescopeck Mountain Highlands Penobscot Ridge/Wilkes Barre Greenway 17 are increasingly linking their conservation and planning efforts to protect public Natural Area Mountain Trail STATE GAME drinking supplies and public health. LAND 149 Seven Tubs Trail 18 • Open space can prevent costly damage. 13 Agrarian Lands Conyngham Valley Agrarian Lands Susquehanna Warrior Trail 19 • Open space can secure our quality of life and our lifestyle. With a community’s Existing/Protected 20 most treasured places preserved, so too are its character and quality of life. West Buck Mountain Resource Route L Trail (Luzerne County) Highlands Stockton Barrens Route L Spur 21 CRANBERRY Natural Area PARK West Side Trail 22 Black Creek Greenway Humboldt Lake NOTE: Short-term priorities Natural Area are shown on map in red Levee System Trail 23

Pismir Ridge Natural Area

The Vision, Proposed Land Conservation Tools Lackawanna Luzerne Goals and Objectives Conservation Areas County County Total number of methods to arly in the planning process, members of the Open Space, Greenways, and he Proposed Conservation Aencourage open space ERecreation Advisory Committee (OSRAC) and participants in stakeholder TAreas Map (above) Agrarian Lands 5,788 19,889 25,677 protection and preservation are interviews and public meetings were asked to reflect on the resources and features incorporates existing protected available to local communities. of the landscape that they deemed as important and valuable. They shared concerns resources and trails, and Greenways 11,348 48,556 59,904 The Plan recommends a number about losing access to nature’s treasures and about losing the scenic beauty of the proposed trails and conservation of different approaches for each area. People expressed an interest in protecting , wildlife and the rural areas identified during the four- Highlands 15,573 34,775 50,348 conservation area that should character of the area. These discussions provided the basis for the following long- step GIS analysis. Proposed be pursued by county and local term Vision for the bi-county area: conservation areas have a mix of Natural Areas 42,623 75,216 117,839 governments, landowners, high, medium and low ecological conservation groups, not-for-profit Total Proposed values, vary in size, and have Conservation Areas 75,332 178,436 253,768 organizations and other interested Residents of been named and classified parties, to protect, conserve as highlands, natural areas, or acquire the recommended Protected Resources Lackawanna and agrarian lands or greenways. 28,235 71,749 99,984 conservation lands. Successful Luzerne Counties Proposed conservation areas were implementation will require a are inspired by the evaluated for appropriate outdoor Total Open Space 103,567 250,185 353,752 combination of conservation tools including land management plans and easements; recreation activities based on Network regulatory methods like density transfers, zoning overlays, buffer zones, subdivision verdant mountain the types of resources present, exactions; and land acquisition made possible through donation and purchase, ranges and fertile proximity to protected resources, and made more attractive to developers and landowners through incentives and river valleys of the and input from stakeholders and purchase of development rights, among others. region and place the public. The proposed conservation areas account for over 250,000 acres of land in a high priority on the bi-county area, excluding trails. When combined with resources that are already protecting and protected, the proposed open space network encompasses about 350,000 acres in Funding Sources preserving important the bi-county area. chieving the vision that is land and water Adefined within this Plan will require, among other things, resources that Priorities a stable and recurring source make the region The planning horizon for the Plan is 20 years; therefore it was necessary to of funding. No single source unique. The amount prioritize Plan recommendations as short term, mid term or long term so the of funding will meet the goals of land under Counties and local jurisdictions could focus efforts and resources. County priority and objectives defined in the areas were determined based on conservation area attributes and the ability to Plan; instead, the Counties protection continues to increase as existing resources create a connected network of open spaces and greenways. Trails received priority will need to work cooperatively are expanded, environmentally sensitive areas are for being regional connectors. with each other and with many protected, and development is directed away from Approximately 86,000 acres of proposed conservation areas and 150 miles other private, local, state and of trails were identified as short term priorities to be pursued in the first five years federal partners to generate complex ecosystems. The bi-county area supports a high after Plan adoption. funds sufficient to implement the quality of life and is an attractive destination for outdoor program. The Plan recommends enthusiasts who enjoy a network of interconnected the Counties immediately pursue greenways and trails and a wide range of outdoor a bond referendum, explore and Implementation establish a recurring source of recreation activities. chieving the revenue in partnership with local Arecommendations in the governments (such as sales tax, Plan will require an aggressive property tax or excise tax), and The Evaluation Process and targeted approach at both explore instituting a utility fee four-step resource-based evaluation method was used to identify Proposed the County and local levels. program. AConservation Areas. A major accomplishment of this Plan involved the creation Each County is vested with the Lackawanna River Corridor Association, 2003 of a Geographic Information System (GIS) of data that will be available to both responsibility for implementing counties and local jurisdictions for long-term planning efforts. Existing mapped data the Plan through partnerships was obtained and compiled, including urban areas, already protected parks, forests, with local governments, the gamelands, easements, and various other natural features from several sources. private sector, and the public. Key data layers were identified based on input from the OSRAC, public meetings and Local governments within each stakeholder interviews and assigned an ecological value of high, medium, or low. Developed in Financial Assistance County play a very valuable Collaboration with: Provided by: High value was placed on resource areas that related to protecting water quality, role in the future open space, specifically drinking water supplies, or critical habitat areas. Critical subwatersheds greenways and outdoor Lackawanna County Luzerne County Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources, Regional Planning Planning Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Growing (those watersheds that drain into surface water drinking supplies), , and recreation program. As partners Commission Commission Greener Fund natural area inventory sites – sites identified by the Nature Conservancy as having with the Counties, each municipal T: 570.963.6400 T: 570.825.1560 Pennsylvania Department of Community and global, federal, state, or local significance due to plant or wildlife habitat, received a Lackawanna River Corridor Association, 2003 government should assist in Economic Development high ecological assignment. Medium ecological value was assigned to slopes above the protection, acquisition and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental 30%, ridgetop corridors, and high quality corridors, and management of land for the open space system and the physical development and Protection related lands and prime agricultural were assigned a low ecological value. maintenance of facilities. Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority Using the ecological index of each key data layer as a starting point, key data In the short term, Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties should work Lackawanna River Lackawanna Heritage Corridor Association Valley Authority The Willary Foundation features were classified by size as large (500 acres or greater), medium (100-499 cooperatively with each other and with local governments to implement the T: 570.207.7608 T: 570.963.6730 acres) or small (less than 100 acres). Protecting large land areas will lead to a more recommendations of this Plan. In the long-term, the Plan recommends establishing LACKAWANNA For more information about the Lackawanna contiguous system and larger land areas are typically more effective in preserving a Luzerne-Lackawanna Regional Open Space, Greenways and Outdoor Recreation & Luzerne Counties Open Space, and maintaining habitat and ecological functions. Those features that were medium Authority (OSRA). The authority would be governed by a Board of Directors A State and National Heritage Area Greenways, & Outdoor Recreation Master Plan, contact your County Planning Commission. and large in size and medium and high in ecological index, moved up in importance. appointed from each County and the OSRAC would be transformed into a Friends of Pennsylvania Areas with low ecological value and less than 100 acres were excluded. Open Space and Greenways organization supporting the implementation efforts of Environmental Council Next, key resources were reviewed for connectivity to each other and to one authority. T: 570.718.6507 already protected resources, such as forests, rivers or gamelands. In addition, an emphasis was placed on creating an interconnected system of open spaces by

considering linear features like abandoned and active railroads, stream and river Pennsylvania Environmental Designed and produced by EDAW, Inc. corridors, and existing and proposed trails as potential connectors or greenways. Council Printed on Recycled Paper

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