What's New
February 2, 2026
Forestland in Monroe County, PA Protected
The Delaware Highlands Conservancy is pleased to announce the permanent protection of 76.61 acres of forestland in Barrett and Greene Townships in Monroe and Pike Counties, Pennsylvania, through a conservation easement held by the Conservancy. The property, owned by David Niper, is directly adjacent to other protected lands and the conserved area features approximately one mile of frontage on Lake Jamie.
This 76.61-acre forested property along Lake Jamie in Monroe County, PA is now permanently protected from development and subdivision with a conservation easement held by the Conservancy.
The conservation easement ensures that this land will continue to provide healthy habitat for wildlife and support the unique rural character of the region while protecting the property from development and subdivision.
“We are proud to assist landowners who recognize the importance of protecting the forests, clean waters, and wildlife that make this region so special,” said Diane Rosencrance, Executive Director of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy. “Protecting land that connects to other conserved properties gives wildlife the space needed to safely move and thrive, while ensuring these special places endure now and for future generations.”
“The Open Space Institute greatly appreciates the Delaware Highlands Conservancy’s exemplary work to protect this forested property in the upper headwaters of the Brodhead Creek watershed,” said Bill Rawlyk, OSI’s Mid-Atlantic Senior Project Manager. “Spruce Mountain Run—a High-Quality cold water stream that feeds into Lake Jamie—flows from nearly 1,720 acres of protected forest and wetlands also held by the Conservancy. Together, these lands safeguard clean headwaters high in the Poconos, improving water quality throughout the Delaware River system. This effort strongly reflects the goals we set when establishing our Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund.”
The property is privately owned and is not open to the public. A conservation easement is a voluntary, legally binding agreement between a landowner and a land trust that permanently protects a property’s natural values while the landowner continues to own and manage the land, subject to the permitted uses detailed in the easement.
This project was supported through the Open Space Institute’s Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund (DRWPF). The fund is made possible with support from the William Penn Foundation, which works to protect water quality throughout the Delaware River Basin. To date, the DRWPF has helped conserve nearly 25,000 acres of forested land to safeguard clean water for the nearly 15 million people who rely on the Delaware River Watershed—including residents of northeastern Pennsylvania, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and New York City.
Additional support was provided through the WeConservePA Conservation Easement Assistance Program.