Description: The state of PA that falls within the Higlands Regional Study Area designated by the USFS. Plus, the extended area designated by the Appalachian Mountain Club to the border of Maryland.
Description: A Critical Treasure is a recognized priority area for additional land conservation efforts in the Highlands that has significant value of open space preservation, watershed protection, habitats for plants or wildlife, or outdoor recreation.
Description: Corridors are made up of the least disturbed and therefore the best potential lands available to unite core conservation areas. These are key landscapes that provide opportunities for biodiversity while contributing to the greenway’s overall ecological richness.The hubs and corridors are the major concentration of the map and serve as the core conservation areas in the PA Highlands Greenway. The hub and spoke system was created by AMC by combining the results of two analysis techniques, stronghold analysis and the Natural Lands Trust’s Smart ConservationTM.. Stronghold analysis identifies areas that are least affected by man-made disturbances such as roads and fragmentation of the natural landscape while Smart Conservation determines the ecological health of an area. The combination of these two analyses in conjunction with the knowledge of local stakeholders was used to prioritize core conservation areas.
Copyright Text: A project of the Appalachian Mountain Club in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Committee of the Highlands Coalition.
Description: Hubs are areas that have a high natural resource value such as large intact forests or abundant wildlife. They have little fragmentation and include unfragemented forests and farmland. Hubs are both undisturbed natural lands and adjacent protected lands such as state parks, forests or state game lands. The hubs and corridors are the major concentration of the map and serve as the core conservation areas in the PA Highlands Greenway. The hub and spoke system was created by AMC by combining the results of two analysis techniques, stronghold analysis and the Natural Lands Trust’s Smart ConservationTM.. Stronghold analysis identifies areas that are least affected by man-made disturbances such as roads and fragmentation of the natural landscape while Smart Conservation determines the ecological health of an area. The combination of these two analyses in conjunction with the knowledge of local stakeholders was used to prioritize core conservation areas.
Copyright Text: A project of the Appalachian Mountain Club in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Committee of the Highlands Coalition.
Description: States that fall within the Higlands Regional Study Area designated by the USFS, portions of CT, NJ, NY, and PA. PA Highlands boundary was extended by the Appalachian Mountain Club to the border of Maryland.
Copyright Text: USFS and Appalachian Mountain Club