City hears Lebanon Valley Conservancy briefing; moves to seek state grant for Northwest Park playground

Abigail Harvey, executive director of the Lebanon Valley Conservancy, told the Lebanon City Council that the land trust had preserved just over 200 acres in the prior year and oversees more than 1,200 acres overall as it works toward a goal of 2,000 acres.

"At the end of last year, we were able to preserve just over 200 acres, bringing us closer to our goal of 2,000 by the end of this year. But we're just over 1,200 acres at this point," Harvey said.

The conservancy described how it works with private landowners to place conservation easements on property, conducts annual monitoring and partners on habitat and tree-planting projects. Anne Marie Buerkle, who spoke for the conservancy, said easements are tailored to each property and typically require a survey, ecological review and an appraisal before negotiations are completed.

"Every easement is written specifically for that property and those people," Buerkle said.

Conservanc…