ClearWater Conservancy’s new conservation center gets $2 million boost. What to know

ClearWater Conservancy’s new conservation center project just got a big financial boost in the form of a $2 million grant.

U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Howard, announced Wednesday that the State College nonprofit has been awarded a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization initiative, which targets areas affected by the coal-related job losses.

“ClearWater Conservancy has been working for decades to advance voluntary conservation efforts throughout our region,” Thompson stated in the release. “The construction of the ClearWater Community Conservation Center will help boost ecotourism and agritourism throughout the area. With this project, there is going to be something for everyone to enjoy.“

A barn and farmhouse on land in Houserville that ClearWater purchased in 2022 will be renovated into the new conservation center, which the organization says will be used to increase public events, educational opportunities and community programming.

In addition to the center’s construction, a pathway will be built from the center down to Spring Creek, a local fishing hot spot.

In the press release, Ford Stryker, a former Clearwater Conservancy board member and current conservancy volunteer, wrote that the grant is a “critical piece of the funding strategy.” Local sources have provided nearly $6 million toward the project.

“The ClearWater Conservancy takes an active role in conserving land and protecting water resources for the preservation and creation of new outdoor recreation assets, working agritourism assets and agribusinesses,” Stryker wrote. “These efforts have become increasingly important as Central Pennsylvania’s economy becomes more reliant on tourism and agriculture following the decline of Central Pennsylvania’s coal-related industries.”

ClearWater Conservancy Executive Director Elizabeth Crisfield told the CDT she expects the project to break ground this winter, pending the approval of the center’s final design. The project is expected to take just more than a year.

The Clearwater Conservancy’s headquarters is located at 2555 N. Atherton St. and is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. More information on the conservancy can be found on its website.