FALL/WI NTE R 2012 N EWS LETTE R

See ENSURING HEALTHY WATERS, Page 4

Ensuring Healthy Waters for People and Nature BY JESSICA KEITH

The flow of water through Earth’s rivers, lakes and wetlands has nurtured and sustained life for millions of years. Beneath the surface and along the shores, across floodplains and in wetlands, an

abundance of life gathers wherever water is found. Water also nourishes our crops, provides fish to eat, powers our factories and carries goods to market. However, in our effort to harness our waters, we have disrupted the natural cycles that sustain life. Freshwater ecosystems and species are declining at an unprecedented rate.

The Nature Conservancy is working around the world to protect Earth’s most important freshwa-ter resources. In Pennsylvania, that means focusing efforts on the globally significant Susquehanna, Delaware and Ohio river systems.

IN THIS ISSUE

2 Director’s Message

3 Resilient Landscapes

4 Ensuring Healthy Waters

6 Conservation Highlights

7 Donors

penn’s woods

Dig deeper atnature.org/explorepa

2 FALL/WINTER 2012

TITLEDIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

The Appalachian forests Pennsylvania shares with our neighbors to the southwest—West Virginia,

Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee—are among the richest in the world in terms of the variety of plants and animals that call them home. Now a new study by The Nature Conservancy shows that these forests are also likely to be among the most resil-ient to the effects of climate change—and that makes protecting them permanently an urgent priority.

This study is just one of many important conser-vation milestones from the past year—follow the timeline below to sample the variety, creativity, and impact of the work you support.

Which of our programs has the greatest impact? Certainly one candidate is the work we do to ensure that our streams and rivers continue to flow with

healthy waters for both people and nature. Read in this issue about the unique approaches the Conservancy brings to this challenge.

Thank you for making all of this work possible. Your support has been, and will continue to be, crucial to our efforts to protect the lands and waters on which all of Pennsylvania depends.

Many of you have chosen to continue your support beyond your lifetime by joining the Legacy Club, and we are so grateful. We invite everyone to join see the insert in this newsletter to learn how you can become part of this special community.

Bill Kunze Executive Director, Pennsylvania Chapter

Director’s Message The Nature Conservancy Pennsylvania Chapter Board of Trustees

Chair, Dennis M. Wint, Ph.D., Wyndmoor

Treasurer, Alison Gibson, Newtown

Katherine J. Bishop, Lebanon

John D. Ehinger, Wyndmoor

James R. Grace, Ph.D., Camp Hill and

University Park

John J. Harding, MD, Wynnewood

Peter C. Hearn, Fort Washington

Mark E. Konen, Villanova

Douglas A. Neidich, Harrisburg

Kimberly C. Oxholm, Glenside

Ted Robb, Rosemont

Christina M. Schmidlapp, Pittsburgh

William M. Whetzel, Chestnut Hill

Frank Wickes, Jr., Red Lion

William M. Wycoff, Pittsburgh

Trustees Emeriti

H. Boyce Budd

Thomas Dolan, IV

V. Richard Eales

Harry Groome

Donald Hamer

Hugh G. Moulton

Carol Steinour Young

Edmund Thayer, Jr.

Pennsylvania Executive Director Bill Kunze © GEORGE C GRESS/TNC

The Nature Conservancy is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) international membership organization. Its mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. An annual membership fee of $25 includes membership to the Pennsylvania Chapter and the worldwide organization.

The Nature Conservancy meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability established by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance is a national charity watchdog affiliated with the Better Business Bureau.

December 2011Conservancy Central Appalachians team completes report measuring environmental impacts from development of new pipelines to carry shale gas to market.

February 2012PA staff helps create forest conservation partnership between regional Appalachian team and the Conservancy’s China program.

March 2012Susquehanna River Basin Commission releases draft water withdrawal policy informed by Conservancy study of seasonal river flows.

April 2012Conservancy staff and supporters around the world participate in a global Picnic for the Planet on Earth Day.

June 2012Regional Conservancy science team identifies the Pennsylvania Wilds, Endless Mountains and Poconos as strongholds for nature in the face of climate change.

June 2012Citizens and environmental community successfully defend conservation funding by defeating effort to zero out the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund.

Cover: THE DELAWARE RIVER © NICHOLAS T./FLICKR

2 FALL/WINTER 2012

Year in Review Timeline

RESILIENT LANDSCAPES

ON THE WEB What other landscapes are “natural strongholds” in the fight against climate change? View the study at nature.org/explorepa.

Putting the Heat on Nature New study points to climate change strongholds BY JESSICA KEITH

Pennsylvania Chapter of The Nature Conservancy | nature.org/explorepa 3

June 2012Chapter signs a cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Forestry to plan and implement prescribed fire on its 2.2 million acres across PA.

July 2012Chapter secures Forest Stewardship Council certification for Bethlehem Authority’s 22,000 acres of land.

July 2012Conservancy freshwater team signs agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assess how reservoir operation on the Monongahela River impacts the downstream ecosystem.

August 2012Chapter marks 1,000 acres of prescribed fire for the calendar year, a 10-fold increase over the entirety of 2010.

August 2012Conservancy accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

October 2012 Chapter celebrates its largest protection effort in the Appalachians with a 5,200-acre conservation easement and surpasses the 80,000 mark of acres protected across Pennsylvania.

November 2012Conservancy and partners complete vacant-land-use study for the Philadelphia Water Department.

Visitors to places like The Dick & Nancy Eales Preserve at Moosic

Mountain (PA), Canaan Valley/Dolly Sods (WV) and Warm Springs Mountain Preserve (VA) in the Allegheny highlands know them as areas of spectacular beauty. In these parts of the region, geologic, topo-graphic and elevational variance spawn natural diversity that few places on Earth can rival.

Now, a new study by the Conservancy identifies these Central Appalachian landscapes as some of the most resilient to climate change across the U.S. north-east and southeastern Canada.

“This study shows how urgent it is that we focus our protection efforts on these resilient places,” says Bill Kunze,

executive director for the Pennsylvania chapter of the Conservancy. “We need to make sure that the conservation we do today will still matter tomorrow,” Kunze adds.

Among the most resilient landscapes found by the study? The ridge and valley portion of Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains, Poconos and Pennsylvania Wilds regions.

“Droughts, rising temperatures and other climate change impacts could destabilize many natural areas around the world,” says Kunze. “But Pennsylvania’s Appalachian regions should be strong enough —if we protect them today—to continue providing functioning and intact ecosystems that can provide clean water, absorb carbon,

supply products we need, provide recreational opportunities, inspire us and support our native plants and animals.”

A “natural stronghold,” the Appalachians could serve as a breeding ground and seed bank for many animal and plant species that otherwise may be unable to find habitat due to climate change, Kunze says.

A common denominator among sites identified in the study? A complex landscape with a high degree of micro-climates—mountains, valleys, slopes and caves. Enclaves like the Allegheny Front offer enough climate variability that even slow-moving species should be able to move from one space into another.

“If we can keep these strongholds intact and connected, it increases the odds that plants and animals will persist through climate change,” Kunze says.

“If you have enough land with enough variety in elevation, geology and land-forms, and that land hasn’t been broken up by things like highways, plants and animals will have more options that may remain favorable for them.”

The study provides some hope that—with a lot of help from us—nature can endure climate change, Kunze says.

FRAGMENTEDNATURAL

AREAS

HIGHDEVELOPMENT

OBSTRUCTEDWATERWAYS

DIVERSITY OFHABITATS ANDELEVATIONS

CONNECTEDFORESTS

MANY LOCAL CLIMATES

WET BASINS

HOTSLOPES

COOL RAVINESUNDEVELOPED

WATERWAYS

CONVERTEDLANDS

HIGH CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCELOW CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE

NATURE’S STRONGHOLDSstrong–vs–less resilient landscapes

How resilient are Pennsylvania’s landscapes to a changing climate?

4 FALL/WINTER 2012

ENSURING HEALTHY WATERS

“The Conservancy knows a healthy river is about the entire watershed, from headwaters to bay, including the river’s tributaries and floodplains,” says Michele DePhilip, Pennsylvania director of freshwater conservation.

In Pennsylvania, our freshwater conservation work is organized around three themes—flow, fish and floodplains—that com-bine attention to places with a whole river perspective, explains DePhilip. Together, these themes encompass three essential components of river conservation: how water moves through the landscape to create a river’s flow; how uplands and flood-plains interact with the river to filter and “store” water; and, how habitats connect to support fish and other aquatic life.

“By looking at these river systems as a whole, the Conservancy is able to support thriving natural habitats as well as the human communities that rely on them,” says DePhilip.

The Susquehanna RiverThe Susquehanna River basin drains more than half the state of Pennsylvania on its 444-mile journey from Otsego Lake, New York, to the Chesapeake Bay and provides more than half the flow of fresh water into the Chesapeake, the most productive estuary in North America. More than six million people rely on the river for their drinking water and hydropower facilities in the basin provide 19 percent of the power in the watershed’s 13-state grid area. But accompanying water withdrawals and dams have created unnatural flow conditions, affecting stream habitat, migratory fish movement and, ultimately, the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay, says DePhilip. The Conservancy

is working to ensure that native species, such as American shad, and natural communities are sustained as the river provides for human needs.

Protection efforts include:• Using Conservancy research as a guide, The Susquehanna River

Basin Commission recently released draft water withdrawal regulations to meet human needs while better addressing the habitat needs of fish, mussels and aquatic animals.

• Several major dams on the lower river are currently renegotiating their licenses to include adjustments, informed by Conservancy work, that will improve downstream habitat and allow more fish to pass—especially American shad and American eel.

The Delaware RiverForming Pennsylvania’s eastern boundary, the Delaware River is the longest undammed river in the eastern United States and one of the last strongholds for migratory fish, including the American eel. DePhilip and Conservancy colleagues are using science to understand how the Delaware River functions as a whole system, from its headwaters in New York State to the Delaware Bay, and taking action to allow it to flow as naturally as possible.

Protection efforts include:• An extensive study of the flows needed to support fish, mus-

sels and other aquatic animals will inform decisions about water withdrawals and reservoir releases.

ENSURING HEALTHY WATERS continued from cover

From Opposite page, left to right: OUR RIVERS PROVIDE CLEAN DRINKING WATER © WISCONSIN DNR; SUSQUEHANNA RIVER © NICHOLAS T./FLICKR; © WISCONSIN DNR; OTTER CREEK WILDERNESS AREA IN THE MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST © KENT MASON.

Pennsylvania Chapter of The Nature Conservancy | nature.org/explorepa 5

ENSURING HEALTHY WATERS

• A mapping effort to identify the forests, wetlands and undevel-oped lands within the floodplain and river corridor will serve as a tool to protect natural floodplains and, thus, river functionality.

The Ohio RiverThe Ohio and its tributaries are among the hardest working rivers in the state, with a network of 37 dams providing us with hydropower, navigation, water supply, flood protection, drink-ing water and world-class recreation opportunities, explains DePhilip. While trying to meet the diverse needs of people, the basin’s waters, including those of French Creek—the most intact remaining watershed in the entire Ohio River basin—remain a lifeline for the most diverse fish and freshwater mussel assemblages in Pennsylvania.

Protection efforts include:• The Conservancy is working with partners to identify critical

stream habitats and to protect riparian and floodplain areas through land purchase and conservation easements.

• In partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Conservancy is working to better understand the influence of water withdrawals and dam operations on the ecology of the Ohio River basin.

“A healthy river is about the entire watershed, from headwaters to bay, including the river’s tributaries and floodplains.”

— MICHELE DEPHILIP, PENNSYLVANIA DIRECTOR OF FRESHWATER CONSERVATIONLEARN MORE

nature.org/healthywaters

6 FALL/WINTER 2012

CONSERVATION HIGHLIGHTS

150,000 – Number of trees planted with help from The Nature Conservancy on a hillside about 400 yards from where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into the ground on September 11, 2001. The Flight 93 National Memorial project helps to restore an old strip mine.

American chestnut returning to Penn’s WoodsHistorically one of the most valuable trees in Pennsylvania’s forests and across the East, the American chestnut provided timber, nuts and habitat. But since 1904, a disease called chestnut blight has decimated populations. Today a few sturdy trees persist in the wild and Conservancy reintroduction efforts could soon restore this stately tree to Brush Mountain and the rest of Penn’s Woods.

Nature Conservancy Supports Award-Winning Bat Documentary White-nose syndrome is severely threatening Pennsylvania’s bat popula-tions. Go online to watch WQED’s Emmy Award-winning documentary, which was supported by The Nature Conservancy, to learn more about the plight of this species.

nature.org/pennsylvania

West Branch Forest Preserve Hosts Trail RunnersEver thought about running a 50k … on hiking trails in the mountains? Not designed for the leisure walker or runner, the Hyner View Trail Challenge—held this past April—is meant to challenge people both physically and mentally. As in

previous years, The Nature Conservancy’s West Branch Forest Preserve in north-central Pennsylvania played host to participants, who for part of the race traversed the property. In preparation for the event, the trail running community reopened overgrown trails at the preserve and created new paths to connect Sproul State Forest and Hyner View State Park.

55, 54, 43 – Ages of three hearty female bog turtles recently documented during an annual survey at The Nature Conservancy’s Acopian Preserve in southeastern Pennsylvania. These are likely the oldest documented bog turtles anywhere in their range!

AmeriCorps VolunteersThe Conservancy was lucky to have help this summer from two AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) teams. Together, the teams contributed 2,935 volunteer hours to the chapter. The 10-person Buffalo 3 team worked to research and catalog forest growth on the Bethlehem Authority lands in Monroe County while the 10-person Raven 3 team built a boardwalk in the Thomas Darling Preserve at Two Mile Run. Both teams also helped with other activities including invasive plant management and prescribed fire opera-tions. Join us in thanking them for all their contributions and hard work.

Foreign Correspondence The Connection between China and the Central Appalachians

BY JESSICA KEITH

From Top Left: AmeriCorps volunteers © Jenny Case; American chestnut © USFS; Bog turtle © USFWS; Eastern pipestrelle bat © Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Conservation Highlights

Pennsylvania Chapter of The Nature Conservancy | nature.org/explorepa 7

We thank the following contributors for their generous gifts and pledged payments to support The Nature Conservancy’s work in Pennsylvania and around the world from July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012. Although space does not permit listing all gifts to the Conservancy, each contribution, no matter what size, has a direct impact on our critical work to protect habitat for people and nature.

INDIVIDUALS

Gifts of $250,000 or GreaterRichard & Nancy Eales

$100,000-$249,999Mr. & Mrs. A. Morris Williams, Jr.

$50,000 to $99,999Anonymous Lynn Magrane & Ted DaeschlerMs. Elsie Darling †

$25,000 to $49,999Anonymous (3) Donald W. Hamer & Marka M. BednarMr. & Mrs. Peter Linneman

$10,000 to $24,999Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. James AverillMr. & Mrs. John BachichMr. & Mrs. John BogleMr. & Mrs. Thomas Dolan, IVMark & Suzanne EvelandMr. Joel Fishman & Ms. Pamela BiddleAlison Gibson & Ian WrightMr. Edwin H. Gott, Jr.Lyn & Harry GroomePeter C. HearnMr. & Mrs. Steve KappMr. & Mrs. F. LaMotteMr. Paul J. LockwoodMr. & Mrs. Hugh G. MoultonTed & Minney RobbDr. & Mrs. John SpurlinoMrs. Mary D. StarrMr. & Mrs. John TutenMs. Elizabeth Van VleckMr. Frank A. Wickes, Jr.

$5,000 to $9,999AnonymousKatherine J. Bishop

Steve & Amanda CherryMrs. Nancy B. DavisEvelyn & Rodney DayMr. John D. Ehinger & Ms. Jane M. BonenbergerMs. Elizabeth B. FarleyMr. & Mrs. James FlanaganMs. Sarah W. FrenchJane W. & Joseph A. GoldblumDr. & Mrs. John HardingMr. Daniel M. HellersteinMr. & Mrs. J. David HuckerMs. Diane M. KerlyMark, Becky & Andrew KonenDoug & Nadine NeidichMs. Jane NewtonMr. & Mrs. Edward O’ConnorMrs. Mary V. PendletonMr. John S. Potter Jr.Dr. & Mrs. Scott ReinesMr. & Mrs. Eric RiedersMr. & Mrs. Jay RosensonPatricia & Richard SchrammMr. & Mrs. Brock WeatherupDennis WintMrs. Robert W. Wolcott, Jr.

LEGACY CLUB MEMBERS

Estate Gifts, New or Additional Planned Gifts Anonymous (9) Stuart T. BairdSusan L. BalogRobert W. BattermanShirley Ann Berthoud †Pauline & Stephen Cepreghy †Michelle CobbStanley F. Collis †Mrs. Edna L. Cowan †Mr. William W. Cox †Alan A. DeLucaMrs. Winifred S. Dickson †Virginia DoughertyEleanor S. ErskineMark & Suzanne EvelandJoan E. FarhatCharles K. Foltz, Jr.Ms. Kathryn H. Giomi †Nancy GossJean M. GreeneJohn & Eleanor HardingMs. Sherwood M. Haas †Mr. David U. Herrmann †Hayward HolbertKalman & Phyllis IllyefalviMarilyn G. JestesCarolyn S. Johnson †Norman Katz †Crawford S. Keating †Robert B. & Miryam L. KnutsonAlexandra Lent †Dr. & Mrs. Gerald LieblingMrs. Mardelle A. Liesmann †

Greg & Alyson MandelMarion B. Moreton †Irmgard MartinoWilliam & Mary McGloneConstance K. McIntyreMabel L. MeneiChristine E. OlickJohn & Eileen OlmstedMarria O’Malley WalshDebra PalfreyMarianne & Stephen PhillipsMr. David Powell †Mr. Lawrence D. Reimer, Jr †Paul S. RileyLaurence Robbins †Ms. Margaret J. Robertson †William D. Roeber †Patricia L. RowanGary & Denise SchnelleDavid & Joan SchwerinDr. William H. Selden Jr.Lynda ShirarWilliam P. Sibley, Jr. †Constance H. Smith †Carol Steinour YoungArlene TaylorAnne TorchianaMs. Patricia A. Walls †Paula E. WebsterJohn & Eleanor WeilerRobert WernerMrs. Sarah K. Wilmer †Richard E. & Patricia A. WilliamsShelley & Joseph Wilson Eric T. YocumHarold Ziserman

FOUNDATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Gifts of $200,000 or GreaterThe William Penn Foundation

$100,000 to $199,999Anonymous ACE Charitable FoundationMango Tree FoundationMcCance Foundation TrustThe Pew Charitable Trusts

$50,000 to $99,999The David R. & Patricia D. Atkinson FoundationOtto Haas Charitable Trust

$25,000 to $49,999Colcom FoundationThe Louisa Copeland Duemling Charitable Lead TrustHuplits Foundation TrustRichard King Mellon FoundationNational Philanthropic TrustOtto Haas Charitable Trust No. 2Wright-Cook Foundation

$10,000 to $24,999The Florence Boyer Family FoundationEFP/GreenWorksThe Hartfield FoundationMarshall-Reynolds FoundationThe McLean ContributionshipPrice FoundationSEI Giving FundWalter J. Miller TrustWhite Pine Fund

$5,000 to $9,999Amaranth FoundationAudrey Hillman Fisher FoundationRita Allen Foundation Bayer USA FoundationBluestone FoundationThe Darling Fund of The Philadelphia FoundationThe Justin Brooks Fisher Foundation, Inc.Holt Family FoundationIgnaczak Family FundLeo Model FoundationThe Nichols Foundation, Inc.

NATURAL AREAS AND EASEMENTS

Dr. William E. DeMuth Jr.Mrs. Barbara W. GriffithMrs. Audrey W. NicholsMrs. Mary P. Wargo

CORPORATE PARTNERS

Domtar CorporationHershey Foods Corporation, PAJohnson & Johnson Family of CompaniesPennsylvania Power & LightSnyder’s of Hanover

CONTRIBUTED GOODS AND SERVICES

Think BrownstoneMr. J. Stephen FeinourMr. Robert G. FranzDoug & Nadine NeidichMrs. Mary P. WargoWaste Management of Pennsylvania, Inc.

† deceased

We regret any error or omission and ask that you bring them to the attention of Aimee Williams at (610) 834-1323 x 107 or awilliams@tnc.org.

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