Lancaster Conservancy Announces Acquisition Of 180 Acres In York County To Establish The Eagle View Nature Preserve; Solidifies Opposition To Cuffs Run Pump-Hydroelectric Facility – PA Environment Digest Blog

Report on the Acquisition of Eagle View Nature Preserve and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Executive Summary

On October 23, the Lancaster Conservancy announced the acquisition of 180 acres in Chanceford Township, York County. The property, designated as the Eagle View Nature Preserve, represents a significant action in advancing several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning environmental protection, community well-being, and sustainable land management. This report details the acquisition’s alignment with the SDGs, its ecological importance, and its role in mitigating threats from unsustainable development projects.

2.0 Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The establishment of the Eagle View Nature Preserve directly supports the achievement of multiple SDGs through targeted conservation and community-focused initiatives.

1. SDG 15: Life on Land: The primary contribution of this project is the protection of a critical terrestrial ecosystem. By acquiring the land, the Conservancy has:
   • Prevented the potential clear-cutting of a healthy, mature hardwood forest, thereby halting land degradation and biodiversity loss.
   • Ensured the sustainable management of a forest rich with oak, hickory, sweet birch, and yellow poplar species, which is critical for regional ecological health.
   • Protected vital wildlife habitat connectivity along the Susquehanna River.
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The preserve enhances the sustainability of local communities by:
   • Safeguarding natural heritage and providing safe, inclusive, and accessible green public spaces for recreation and well-being.
   • Protecting the scenic viewshed for adjacent recreational assets like the Mason-Dixon Trail and the Enola Low Grade Trail, contributing to the region’s cultural and natural landscape.
3. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The protection of this forested land is integral to protecting water-related ecosystems. The mature forest acts as a natural filter, safeguarding the water quality of the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, a key target of SDG 6.
4. SDG 13: Climate Action: By preserving a mature forest, the project contributes to climate change mitigation. The forest serves as a significant carbon sink, and preventing its deforestation is a direct action to combat climate change and its impacts.

3.0 Opposition to Unsustainable Development

The acquisition is strategically significant in the context of a proposed regional infrastructure project that poses a threat to sustainable development. The proposed Cuffs Run Pump Hydroelectric Facility is opposed by the Conservancy on grounds that it conflicts with key sustainability principles.

3.1 Project Incompatibility with SDGs

• SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): The proposed facility would utilize inefficient, outdated technology, consuming approximately 30% more electricity than it would generate, thereby failing to meet the criteria for sustainable and modern energy.
• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): The project would displace over 40 residents and destroy preserved farms, undermining the goal of creating inclusive and sustainable human settlements.
• SDG 15 (Life on Land): Construction would destroy critical forested lands within the Susquehanna Riverlands Conservation Landscape, causing irreversible damage to local ecosystems.

3.2 Advocacy and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17)

The Conservancy’s legal challenge against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s preliminary permit for the Cuffs Run facility, undertaken with partners and community members, exemplifies the collaborative action required to achieve the SDGs. This partnership aims to protect the long-term ecological and social health of the region from destructive projects.

4.0 Conclusion and Future Outlook

The acquisition of the Eagle View Nature Preserve is a proactive measure that secures vital natural resources and aligns with a global sustainability framework. It demonstrates a commitment to long-term land protection that supports biodiversity, climate resilience, and community health. The Conservancy is currently engaged in a master planning process for the preserve and continues to seek funding to support its stewardship. The property remains closed to the public pending the completion of this planning phase.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights several issues that connect directly to the Sustainable Development Goals, primarily focusing on environmental conservation, sustainable energy, community impact, and partnerships. The main SDGs addressed are:

• SDG 15: Life on Land: This is the most prominent SDG, as the article’s core subject is the acquisition and protection of 180 acres of forest land, the preservation of habitat, and the fight against deforestation.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The protection of land along the Susquehanna River is explicitly linked to ensuring the ecological health of the river and its waterways.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The article discusses the potential displacement of residents and the destruction of farms due to the proposed energy project, as well as the creation of a new nature preserve for public access.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The proposed Cuffs Run hydroelectric facility is discussed, but its sustainability and efficiency are questioned, connecting the article to the discourse on what constitutes genuinely clean and modern energy.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The effort to protect the land and oppose the destructive project involves collaboration between the Lancaster Conservancy, its partners, and local residents, showcasing a multi-stakeholder partnership.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the actions and issues described, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Under SDG 15 (Life on Land):
   • Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands. The article directly addresses this by describing the Lancaster Conservancy’s acquisition of 180 acres of “healthy forests” to “be protected forever.”
   • Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally. The acquisition prevents the “risk of being clear-cut” and aims for the “genetic preservation and proliferation of its prominent oaks and other healthy hardwoods.”
   • Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. The article mentions the protection of an “important birding area” and “critical wildlife habitat.”
2. Under SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation):
   • Target 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes. The protection of forested lands is described as “critical to ensuring the ecological health of the Susquehanna Riverlands Conservation Landscape and waterways.”
3. Under SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities):
   • Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces. The acquisition will create the “Eagle View Nature Preserve,” which will provide “public access to nature.”
   • Target 11.a: Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning. The opposition to the Cuffs Run project, which would “displace over 40 residents and destroy preserved farms,” is an action to prevent negative development and protect rural community links to the landscape.
4. Under SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy):
   • Target 7.a: By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology… and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology. The article critiques the proposed hydroelectric facility for using “1960s era technology” and being inefficient, implicitly advocating for more modern and genuinely sustainable energy solutions.
5. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. The article states that the Conservancy is fighting the Cuffs Run project “alongside impacted neighbors” and with “its partners,” demonstrating a civil society partnership to achieve a common goal.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article contains several explicit and implied indicators that can measure progress:

• For SDG 15:
  • Indicator 15.1.1 (Forest area as a proportion of total land area): The article provides specific figures that can be used for this indicator, such as the “acquisition of 180 acres” of forest, the protection of “over 3,000 acres in York County,” and the Conservancy’s total protection of “over 11,000 acres of natural land.”
  • Indicator 15.1.2 (Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas): The creation of the “Eagle View Nature Preserve” and the mention of the Conservancy managing “over 50 nature preserves” serve as direct measures for this indicator.
• For SDG 6:
  • Indicator 6.6.1 (Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time): The protection of 180 acres of forest land adjacent to the Susquehanna River is a direct action to maintain and protect the extent of this water-related ecosystem. The total of “over 3,000 acres in York County along the Susquehanna River” protected by the Conservancy is a quantifiable measure of this effort.
• For SDG 11:
  • Indicator 11.7.1 (Average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use for all): The creation of a new nature preserve intended for “public access” is a direct contribution to this indicator. The number of residents (“over 40”) who would be displaced by the proposed project serves as a negative indicator, highlighting a threat to sustainable community planning.
• For SDG 7:
  • The article provides a critical metric regarding the proposed energy project’s inefficiency: it would “consume about 30% more electricity to pump water than it would actually generate.” This figure serves as a powerful indicator against the project’s classification as a sustainable energy solution.
• For SDG 17:
  • The existence of the coalition (“Conservancy and its partners, alongside impacted neighbors”) and its actions (hiring a “legal team to appeal FERC’s decision”) are qualitative indicators of a functioning multi-stakeholder partnership. The mention of seeking “public and private grants and donations” implies financial mobilization, which is part of Indicator 17.17.1.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com