The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC), dedicated to protecting the region’s exceptional natural places, received a grant of $287,500 to support preservation of land and watershed on the 184-acre Penn’s Scenic View, adjacent to Laurel Hill State Park in Somerset County and with spectacular views of the Laurel Highlands. The acreage includes a mix of forest, ponds, and fields, as well as frontage on Laurel Hill Creek, which flows to the town of Confluence where it joins the Casselman River.

Also with support of the Foundation, WPC is working with several partners, including the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh, to create a new park on the city’s largest privately owned, undeveloped land parcel. Located in the Hays neighborhood, the woodlands include six streams, a waterfall, and a nesting site for American bald eagles, which can be seen via a webcam sponsored by the Audubon Society.