When EC purchased the former Blue Coal Corporation lands in 1994, its vision was to reclaim the mine scarred lands, keep the green areas green and use the reclaimed lands in ways that would best serve the community.

The Earth Conservancy Land Use Plan and Lower Wyoming Valley Open Space Master Plan recommended that 10,000 acres be dedicated to green/recreational space.  In order to make those lands, and other awaiting reclamation, be made available to the community in a safe and effective way, Earth Conservancy enrolled much of its lands in the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Forest Cooperative Forest-Game Program, designed for private landowners with more than 1,000 acres of forested lands. 

Under this program, Earth Conservancy still retains ownership of the land, but the public has free and immediate access to it for recreational purposes.   Earth Conservancy chose to partner with the Game Commission because of its expertise in managing large land areas for recreational purposes.

All of Earth Conservancy’s lands that are enrolled in the program follow the same rules and regulations of other Game Commission lands.  Hunting is allowed on the lands enrolled in the program.  The Game Commission currently has more than 600,000 acres across the state enrolled in the program.

The lands are for recreational purposes, and visitors are required to obey Pennsylvania Game Commission regulations, which governs hunting practices and prohibit motorized activities. To find out more about the Pennsylvania Game Commission and its programs, www.pgc.state.pa.us. Call the Northeast Regional Office of the Game Commission, at 570-675-1143, or Earth Conservancy, at 570-823-3445, to confirm which of Earth Conservancy’s lands are enrolled in the cooperative program.

Click HERE for a map of Earth Conservancy’s lands enrolled in the PA Game Commission Program.