Hundreds of Acres Preserved in 2011 and  

Jeff Marshall Promoted to President 

At year's end, Heritage Conservancy celebrated the preservation of hundreds of acres of land in 2011 in addition to the elevation of the Conservancy's Chief Preservation Officer, Jeffrey Marshall, to President of the organization. As President, he will lead the Conservancy's principal mission-related initiatives including Lasting Landscapes, historic preservation, land protection negotiation, and high-level strategic master planning.    

Jeff Marshall outside of Aldie Mansion, Heritage Conservancy headquarters 

Due to partnerships with federal, state, county and municipal agencies, Heritage Conservancy was able to preserve 467 acres over the last twelve months. The year's successes showcased the efforts of the Conservancy's Resource Protection service area, which has been led by Jeff Marshall for the past 15 years.  

"The diligent work of our team consistently affirms our mission of protecting our region's natural and historic heritage," said Marshall. "I'm honored to accept the position of President of Heritage Conservancy, and thank the Board of Directors for this vote of confidence. Their enthusiasm and commitment to the Conservancy's mission over the last many decades has been unrivaled. "

Making Strides in Cooks Creek Watershed 

Heritage Conservancy settled on three significant conservation easements before the end of 2011. Notably, these conservation easements are all located in the Cooks Creek Watershed, which is part of the Conservancy's Lasting Landscapes initiative. The Cooks Creek Watershed encompasses 30.5 square miles and is composed of steep forested ridges and deep spring-fed ravines.  Its wide, fertile limestone valley contains prime farmland, which is still in production.  A vital ecosystem, Cooks Creek is an important agricultural resource in Pennsylvania.

The acquired conservation easements include the Snider Property, totaling 34 protected acres in Durham Township. A mostly wooded property, Snider contains a headwater tributary of the Cooks Creek. The Conservancy also partnered with Springfield Township to acquire conservation easements on the Fitzpatrick and Ruhle properties located in Springfield Township. 49 acres were preserved on the Fitzpatrick property, which contains a diversity of wildlife habitat consisting of mature forest, successional lands, agricultural fields, wetlands, and a portion of Cooks Creek.

Forested habitat on Snider property. 

Laura Baird has worked within Heritage Conservancy's Resource Protection Department for over eight years. As the Conservancy's Resource Protection Specialist, her primary role is to negotiate land protection projects by evaluating properties, writing grants, meeting with landowners and preparing baseline documentation in order to acquire conservation easements. Her work at the Conservancy has assisted in the preservation of over 45 properties totaling nearly 2,500 acres. She also heads the Conservancy's Quakertown Swamp Amphibian Crossing project, which was recently featured in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"Growing up in Bucks County, I spent most of my time outside riding horses, climbing trees and playing in the creek behind my house," said Baird. "It brings me great pleasure to know I am part of a team at the Conservancy that protects land that future generations will enjoy, including my two year old daughter!"

Prior to joining Heritage Conservancy, Ms. Baird was a Community Planner at the Monroe County Planning Commission where she managed the County Agricultural Land Preservation Program. She has Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and Environmental Studies from East Stroudsburg University.