Wildlands Conservancy outlines land preservation, dam removals and meadow restorations to Northampton County committee

Wildlands Conservancy gave the Northampton County Energy, Environment and Land Use Committee an overview of its conservation work in the county, including easements, trail connections, meadow restorations and a multi-year effort to remove dams on the Bushkill watershed.

The presentation, delivered by Kate Evo, senior restoration ecologist with Wildlands Conservancy, summarized a partnership the nonprofit said it began in 2017 and said it has used county-supported contracts to attract additional funding and complete habitat and public-access projects across Northampton County.

Evo said the partnership has produced 22 conservation easements (three co-held with the county), two nature preserves Wildlands holds, and more than 2,400 acres protected in the county. "We have a long standing partnership here with the county, since 2017," Evo said. She added the conservancy has leveraged the county contract at roughly a 10-to-1 ratio and "brought in about 6,800,000 to the county" for conservation work.

Nut graf: Committee members heard project examples and timelines — including completed dam removals on the Bushkill, ongoing design and permitting for a fourth removal, and planned construction next year for stream and park restorations — and discussed funding risks after Wildlands said it lost over $1 million in mitigation funding but learned a new grant round opened.

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