Penn State has a vision for Rockview property

By Bruce McPheron

As the debate continues over how the state should divest land currently managed by the State Correctional Institution at Rockview, I have been dismayed by oft-repeated misconceptions about what portions of the property Penn State seeks to purchase and by public statements from those who would distort the vision guiding the university’s proposed ownership of part of the tract.

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We want to be sure people’s opinions — and the outcome of the legislative process — are based on a true picture of Penn State’s plans for managing the land in a sustainable, environmentally responsible and scientifically sound way.

The House State Government Committee is considering two bills that would authorize the transfer of about 1,800 acres of Rockview land, about 1,100 acres of which Penn State seeks to purchase for use by the College of Agricultural Sciences. Contrary to misleading public statements from other individuals and organizations, neither bill would convey the 400 acres encompassing Spring Creek Canyon to Penn State.

The university supports the bill introduced by Rep. Mike Hanna, which would transfer the 1,100-acre parcel to Penn State. This measure would require that the land be managed in accordance with an already-completed master plan that was developed after extensive public and stakeholder input.

Under the Hanna bill, a conservation easement would protect the land from future development. If Penn State tries to develop, sell or use the land for a purpose other than agricultural and natural-resources research and education, the parcel would revert back to the state.

The land in question, which is a mixture of forests, open fields and crop land, represents a unique opportunity for innovative educational and research programs that will benefit the entire state. For instance, the soils in the orchard portion of the property may make that area ideal for research to develop a blight-resistant variety of American chestnut. This ongoing

research could lead to restoration of this once-dominant tree species to Pennsylvania’s forests.

Portions of the property may be well-suited for studies on sustainable biomass production in support of a biofuels industry that is compatible with the state’s climate and land resources and that reduces our reliance on petroleum. The property also offers an opportunity to expand research on organic food production, which is increasingly in demand by consumers.

The parcel would provide a remarkable living laboratory for students in such majors as environmental resource management, wildlife and fisheries science, forest science and agroecology — our next generation of conservationists and informed citizens.

In addition, under Penn State ownership, an agreement already in place with the Pennsylvania Game Commission will provide public access to the land for hunting in perpetuity.

We must continue to seek ways to provide food, fiber and fuel to our citizens while maintaining our natural resources at the highest quality. The Rockview property can help us to provide science-based, sustainable solutions to ensure we can meet this challenge now and in the future.

Bruce McPheron is the dean of Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. More information about the university’s vision for the Rockview property is available at http://agsci.psu.edu/ news/spotlight/rockview.