Berks, Bucks, Chester, Lebanon, Lancaster, Lehigh and Montgomery counties contain some of the state’s most populated. This area is also home to critical unprotected lands such as source water, head waters, riparian buffers, watershed lands, natural areas, contiguous forested lands and key habitats, farmland, and greenway connectors found in what’s known as the Hopewell Big Woods. The Schuylkill Highlands initiative is hoping to protect what is special in this region by saving high-quality lands and connecting people and communities through a network of trails and gateway communities.
The backbone of this conservation landscape is the Schuylkill River Trail. By completing a crucial segment in Chester County as well as the necessary connector spurs from many communities and destinations, the trail will successfully link together recreational hubs and river towns from Valley Forge to Reading.
Achieving the goals of this conservation landscape will require municipalities to implement appropriate land use ordinances and practices that steward this landscape.
The goals of this region are to:
- protect what is special to this area by saving a significant amount of remaining land in this landscape
- connect residents and visitors to the outdoors
- implement sustainable land use practices in local municipalities in the landscape