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The Delaware Highlands Conservancy and regional conservation partners have been awarded a $1 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to advance land conservation and environmental education across the Upper Delaware River region in Pennsylvania and New York.

The funding will support the Upper Delaware River Conservation Collaboration, a partnership including the Conservancy, Pocono Heritage Land Trust, Brodhead Watershed Association, Orange County Land Trust, and Beaverkill Valley Land Trust. Together, these organizations will work to conserve forests, waterways, wetlands, and other critical habitats throughout the Upper Delaware River watershed.

Through voluntary conservation easements and other land conservation projects, the collaboration aims to permanently protect more than 9,000 acres of forests, floodplains, waterways, and other natural resources across the region. The project will focus on priority areas within Wayne, Pike, and Monroe Counties in Pennsylvania and Delaware, Ulster, Sullivan, and Orange Counties in New York.

In addition to land protection, the project will engage local communities through a wide range of educational programs and outreach efforts. Partners will host at least 460 community engagement and environmental education events focused on natural resources, land stewardship, water quality and quantity, and wildlife habitat. These programs are designed to build awareness and inspire community support for conservation efforts throughout the watershed.

By working collaboratively across state lines, the partner organizations will help ensure that the forests, waterways, and wildlife habitats of the Upper Delaware River region remain protected for future generations while strengthening community connections to the landscape.