Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) preserved 43 acres of forest on a 53-acre property in Middlesex Township, PA. ALT purchased the property in May 2022 from a private organization in a joint effort with the Glade Run Lake Conservancy to expand the protected area around the lake. Increasing the conservation buffer around the lake is part of a long-term effort to improve water quality in the lake for habitat health and preserve recreational access. Allegheny Land Trust transferred the property to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission in September 2023, who manages the lake.

The project includes an early successional forest recovering from early 1900s through 1950s agricultural uses, with a mix of 64 to approximately 45 years old stands. The main tree species are silver and sugar maple, black walnut, and hickory at the field edges and black cherry dominating the former fields.

The sale of carbon credits was added to the scope of this project early in the process to ensure financial viability for the transfer to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Protecting the Glade Run Lake forest is an important step in ensuring the long term health of this ecosystem, and the benefits it delivers to residents.

 This is Allegheny Land Trust’s third project with City Forest Credits, joining their Buena Vista Heights Conservation Area and Buerkle Woodlands projects.

More information coming soon.

Co-Benefits

Forest preservation projects not only reduce carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but provide ecosystem services or co-benefits that can be quantified. The co-benefits from this project represent a savings (avoided costs) of $79,015 per year, and $3,160,605 over 40 years.

• Rain interception (stormwater management) – 17,688 m3/year, $37,368 per year
• Air quality – 1.2203 t/yr, $3,008 per year
• Energy – cooling (electricity) – 53,710 kWh/year, $7,525 per year
• Energy – heating (natural gas) – 2,223,327 kBtu/year, $31,096 per year

Social Impacts

The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an urgent call for action and global partnership among all countries, representing key benchmarks for creating a better world and environment for everyone. Well-designed and managed urban forests make significant contributions to the environmental sustainability, economic viability and livability of cities.

The main SDGs for this project are described below, with more detailed information in the Project Design Document.

This forest preserves a trail network and opened up the opportunity for people to visit and enjoy nature. The forest also contains a diverse array of native species, which creates an education point to inform visitors about.

The forest’s preservation increases the buffer around Glad Run Lake, which is important given agricultural runoff threatening the water quality and fish stocking of the lake.

This project will maintain and improve water quality, improve stormwater infiltration, and expand the riparian and larger forested areas around the lake for habitat and wildlife.