Keystone Recreation, Park & Conservation Fund

  • Home
  • Legacy of
    Success
  • Find Keystone
    Projects
  • Success
    Stories
  • How It
    Works
    • Enabling Act and Referendum
    • Allocation
    • Revenue Source
    • Applying for Grants
  • Resources
    • Fact Sheets
    • Reports & Surveys
    • 20th Anniversary Honorees

Protecting Moosic Mountain

August 18, 2014

Hikers who reach the summit of Moosic Mountain are treated to breathtaking views of the endless ridges and valleys stretching out below. But amazing vistas are just one of the many treasures of this conserved landscape.

Moosic Mountain encompasses 15,000 acres of forested Appalachian ridgetop and an impressive array of heath barrens. The heath barrens are not desolate, as their name suggests. They are actually a healthy mosaic of pitch pine and oak forest dominated by huckleberry, blueberry, rhodora, and other low-lying shrubs. The flora attracts a broad array of birds like chestnut-sided warblers and game species like white-tailed deer, black bear, and turkey. A variety of butterflies and moths also dwell in the flourishing brush.

Despite its incredible natural beauty and environmental value, the property was once slated for commercial development which threatened both the wildlife habitat and water quality for surrounding residents.

But in 2001, a grant from the Keystone Fund made it possible for The Nature Conservancy to acquire 1,200 acres of the mountain, preserving the area for all people to enjoy.

In 2009, the Conservancy named the preserve after Dick and Nancy Eales, whose generosity, along with an additional Keystone Fund grant, enabled the Conservancy to expand and maintain the preserve, which now encompasses 2,250 acres. Two-thirds of the 15,000-acre mountain is now protected by a combination of public and private investments.

The Eales Preserve at Moosic Mountain attracts a variety of users, including bird watchers, hikers, mountain bikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts who relish the preserve’s many miles of trails. The Nature Conservancy works with a variety of partners to instill in visitors a sense of ownership and responsibility while ensuring compatible recreational uses for the land.

Project Type: Conservation | Region: Northeast

Project Overview

Keystone Investment: $2.2 million
Local Funds Leveraged: $7.1 million
Total Project Cost: $9.3 million
Project Leader: The Nature Conservancy
Key Local Partners: The Conservation Fund, Jessup Borough, Lackawanna River Corridor Association, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Hubbard Bike Club
County: Lackawanna
Fun Fact: The Preserve is home to the globally rare sallow moth and barrens buckmoth.

You are here: Home / Success Stories / Protecting Moosic Mountain

Download Version:


PDF Version

Learn More:

  • Conservation
  • Recreation
  • State Parks & Forests
  • Libraries
  • Historic Preservation
  • Get Updates
  • Contact Us
  • Donate

PALTA Websites:

ConserveLand.org
ConservationTools.org
ConservationAdvocate.org
EACnetwork.org
GetOutdoorsPA.org
GreenwaysandTrails.org
GrowingGreener.info
KeystoneFund.org
PALandChoices.org

KeystoneFund.org is administered by the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association

119 Pine Street, 1st Floor, Harrisburg PA 17101

Click here to learn about applying for Keystone Fund grants

This site was developed by the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association in partnership with the Pennsylvania Recreation
and Park Society
and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation (Environmental Stewardship Fund).

Copyright © 2019 · Keystone on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in