‘One-of-a-kind gem.’ Patton Township permanently protects Gray’s Woods Preserve
Patton Township’s Gray’s Woods Preserve will be permanently protected thanks to a conservation easement and support from the Hamer Foundation.
The 149-acre property was acquired by the township in 2017 through its Open Space program. The conservation easement will ensure the property is protected and available for public use as an outdoor recreation destination, according to a press release from ClearWater Conservancy.
“The Township’s Open Space program is a direct result of citizen action encouraging elected officials to act and pledging to support the purchase and maintenance of the Gray’s Woods Preserve and the Haugh Family Preserve,” Doug Erickson, Patton Township manager, said in a release. “These lands will provide, in perpetuity, a wide range of recreational benefits to users as well as protected habitats for wildlife and native plants.”
The Gray’s Woods Preserve is located within a Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Inventory Core Area, known as the Barrens Biological Diversity Area, the release stated. The “sensitive habitat” supports rare plant and animal species. The easement will also help to protect a groundwater recharge area underground, which contributes to the region’s drinking water supplies. It flows toward Spring Creek, so it also supports some of the best trout fishing in the county, the release stated.
Trails through Gray’s Woods Preserve cover a wide variety of terrain and rare natural features, the release stated. The preserve connects to Gray’s Woods Park and State Game Lands 176 (the Scotia Barrens).
“The Barrens … are ecologically significant because the largest remaining patch of pitch pine-scrub oak barrens habitat in Pennsylvania are located there,” the release stated.
ClearWater Conservancy has been working to protect habitat in the Scotia Barrens region for more than a decade, Deb Nardone, executive director of ClearWater, said in a release.
“Patton Township took an important step forward by permanently protecting these lands. This region is a one-of-a-kind gem, treasured by hikers, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts alike. We’re thrilled that Patton Township will make this place accessible for the public to visit and enjoy forever,” Nardone said.
The conservation of Gray’s Woods Preserve is part of ClearWater’s large-scale conservation effort, the Scotia Barrens to Ridgelines Initiative. The initiative’s focus is to connect vital landscapes and protect the groundwater below them, according to the release.
The township will conduct a forest management plan in concert with Woods and Waters Consulting as a next step of the conservation efforts.
Gray’s Woods Preserve is under management of Patton Township and open to the public year-round. Visitors can access the preserve via Gray’s Woods Blvd. in Patton Township. Parking is available in the lot for Gray’s Woods Park, and from there a relatively flat trail to Gray’s Woods Preserve can be accessed.
