Conservation

The Cheshire Land Preservation Fund is a charitable 501(c)(3) trust created in 1989 under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Land Preservation Fund was organized (1) to promote and encourage the preservation of open space, agricultural resources, and natural ecological systems in Southern Chester County, Pennsylvania in cooperation with other non-profit organizations having similar goals and (2) to acquire, manage, lease, sell or otherwise deal with tracts of rural or undeveloped land threatened by excessive development.

The Land Preservation Fund is fortunate to be working in an area where the natural resources and scenic viewsheds are deserving of special consideration when it comes to open space preservation. The region includes the picturesque Buck and Doe Run Valleys which are not only sources of great beauty but also are critical environmental resources since they contain the headwaters of the Brandywine River, which provides the principal water supply to the city of Wilmington, Delaware. More than a quarter of a century ago, before development pressures had reached the area, the Brandywine Conservancy recognized the significance of the local natural resources and began a concerted long-term effort to have permanent conservation easements placed on large tracts of land. Through their efforts, and those of several other conservation organizations and land trusts, there are now over 30,000 contiguous acres in our area subject to conservation easements and deed restrictions that will permanently preserve their rural character and agricultural use. Most of this was possible as a result of the generosity of landowners who voluntarily donated their development rights to one or more conservation organizations.

Despite these accomplishments, significant tracts of land within and adjacent to the “eased” areas continue to be available for development, and, unfortunately, these parcels tend to be owned by those who are either least inclined or can least afford to give up their development potential without some form of compensation. For obvious reasons, the environmental and other benefits derived from preserving a particular tract of land can be substantially undermined if neighboring tracts are developed. While there are several conservation organizations working in the area, most lack either the mandate or the wherewithal to pay to acquire conservation easements. In order to preserve some of the key parcels that remain uneased, it will be necessary to have financial resources available to compete with offers from developers.

For these reasons, the Land Preservation Fund is attempting to raise funds so that, as a community, we can react quickly and effectively if and when such parcels come on the market or an opportunity arises to acquire a conservation easement on the property.

Mail your donation to:
Cheshire Land Preservation Fund
Post Office Box 983
Unionville, Pennsylvania 19375-0983

Thank you!