Lake Jamie: Conserving Land, Water, and Wildlife
When David Niper purchased his 76 acres on Lake Jamie in Monroe County, PA in 2019, he was fulfilling a lifelong dream to build his home on lakefront property. As a professional contractor, David knew the land he was purchasing had already been surveyed and could be developed into as many as 32 building lots.
But after spending time on the property, David began to notice a striking difference between the two sides of the lake. The north side, already home to 18 houses, was almost completely devoid of wildlife. By contrast, the undeveloped west and south sides of the lake, including David’s property, were thriving with otters, beavers, eagles, osprey, and a wide variety of other birds and wildlife.
As David built his home and worked to clean up the property—removing tires, garbage, and an old house that was falling down—his connection to the land deepened. Through that process, he became determined to preserve the rest of this side of the lake for the wildlife that depend on it.
“I could have made a fortune building houses on this lake, but it would be one of the worst things I’ve ever done in my life to destroy this environment,” David said. “People impinge on wildlife whether they want to or not, and it changes their patterns of behavior. I don’t care if I can build 32 houses here and make more money. To me, the important thing is to keep it the same.”
While exploring the area, David noticed a sign on a neighboring conserved property for the Delaware Highlands Conservancy and reached out to the organization’s Land Protection staff. He invited them to visit and took them on a boat ride around the lake, where they observed beaver lodges and spotted both an osprey and an eagle. Over the next year, David and the Conservancy worked closely together to develop a conservation easement that would permanently protect the property from future development and subdivision, while safeguarding its vital forest, wetland, and lake wildlife habitat.
In January 2026, the conservation easement was finalized, and the property is now forever protected.
David and his wife continue to own and manage the land and have lived full-time in their Lake Jamie home since 2021. “This is paradise to me. I look out my window fifty times a day,” David commented. “I don’t see wildlife every time, but it makes me happy to know that they’re not being bothered by somebody’s car, somebody’s radio. They’re undisturbed.”
Reflecting on the future of the property, David added, “The water presents so many more opportunities for the wildlife. It’s so important to just leave it alone—to leave the swampy area, the dead trees standing for woodpeckers. I have a whole mile of lakefront that’s undeveloped, and it’s staying that way.”
By choosing to conserve his 76 acres, David has ensured that no matter who owns the property in the future, this important wildlife habitat will remain protected forever.
Protecting Your Land »
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.