Devault, Pa., December 5, 2023 – The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has awarded French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust $159,700 of grant funding to develop a program for lawn conversion and streamside tree planting on properties permanently protected with French & Pickering.
Property owners whose land is protected with a voluntary Conservation Easement held by French & Pickering and meets the eligibility criteria can receive technical assistance and up to 80% of costs covered to convert their lawns to native meadows and plant native trees along streams. French & Pickering will connect landowners with local expert restoration contractors who will perform site preparation, plantings, and most importantly, several years of post-planting maintenance.
“Diverse native plant communities are critical for pollinators and birds, and forested buffers along streams prevent erosion and improve water quality” noted Karl Russek, French & Pickering’s Conservation Coordinator. “As the holder of nearly 200 easements on over 7,500 acres of land in northern Chester County, French & Pickering is uniquely placed to bring in expertise and resources to assist our landowners with improving the conservation value of their properties.”
French & Pickering and its partners will also focus on managing invasive plants and deer impacts. The program will use native plant species as part of a larger effort to protect and expand the range of some of the state’s most under-represented species.
French & Pickering anticipates 2024 will be the inaugural year of an annual program. Additional support for this program is provided by the Essential Foundation. Please contact Karena DiLeo at kdileo@frenchandpickering.org if you would like to learn more about participating in the program.
