Pennsylvania's public lands, waterways, forests, and open spaces provide environmental, recreational
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Advocacy Alert | Senate Bill 857
Dear Chrissy,
As a member of WeConservePA and an accredited land trust, the Conservancy is sharing this alert becauseSenate Bill 857 (SB 857) would create significant new barriers to conserving public lands and waterways throughout the Commonwealth. We join WeConservePA and other conservation organizations and encourage community members to contact their State Senators.
Pennsylvania's public lands, waterways, forests, and open spaces provide environmental, recreational, and quality-of-life benefits to communities throughout the Commonwealth, making land conservation an issue that affects all Pennsylvanians.
Why the Conservancy is Concerned:
The Chestnut Hill Conservancy joins other environmental advocacy groups in opposing SB 857 because of concerns outlined by WeConservePA that the legislation could:
Make it more difficult for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to acquire land and expand public access to parks, forests, game lands, and waterways.
Create additional obstacles for private landowners who wish to donate or sell property for conservation and public benefit.
Add complexity and uncertainty to conservation transactions that are often time-sensitive and dependent on willing sellers.
Reduce opportunities to protect open space, wildlife habitat, stream corridors, and natural landscapes that contribute to water quality, flood mitigation, stormwater management, and ecological resilience.
Limit the ability of public agencies to strategically conserve land for recreation, wildlife management, fishing, boating, and other outdoor uses enjoyed by Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth.
For communities within the lower Wissahickon watershed—including Chestnut Hill, Northwest Philadelphia, and portions of Montgomery County—land conservation is part of a broader system of environmental stewardship. Forests, open spaces, waterways, and wildlife habitats do not stop at municipal boundaries, and decisions affecting conservation opportunities elsewhere in Pennsylvania can have long-term implications for watershed health, biodiversity, recreation, and resilience throughout the region.
For questions about the Conservancy's conservation and advocacy work, please contact our advocacy team at Info@CHConservancy.Org.
Thank you for helping ensure that future generations can enjoy the parks, forests, streams, and open spaces that define the character and environmental health of the Wissahickon watershed and communities throughout Pennsylvania.
Celebrating 25 Years of the Conservation and Preservation Easements Act
The Conservancy's mission is to conserve, preserve, and celebrate history, architecture, and landscapes throughout Chestnut Hill and the lower Wissahickon watershed through community engagement, advocacy, and stewardship. The Conservancy's Strategic Plan reaffirms our commitment to environmental conservation, principled leadership, and advocacy that protects natural resources for future generations. The lower Wissahickon watershed extends beyond Chestnut Hill into Northwest Philadelphia and portions of Montgomery County, reminding us that conservation is inherently regional and interconnected. Protecting open space, forests, stream corridors, and natural landscapes throughout Pennsylvania benefits downstream communities and strengthens the broader environmental systems on which we all depend.
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