Located in eastern Pennsylvania along the Kittatinny Ridge, the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge was created in 2008 to ensure the protection of the federally threatened bog turtle and secure critical wetlands for migrating birds, amphibians and a range of other wildlife. The refuge also provides unique recreational opportunities throughout its upland habitats for wildlife viewing, hunting, hiking and cross-country skiing.

Our Role

Our ongoing collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service to acquire and conserve the largest unprotected property within the core of the refuge — encompassing more than 4,600 acres — is underway! This high-priority conservation effort will also secure more than five miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

Thus far, 1,731 acres in Northampton and Monroe counties have been transferred to the refuge thanks to financial support from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Middle Delaware Mitigation Fund, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through Walmart’s Acres for America Program, the Open Space Institute’s Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund through funding from the William Penn Foundation and its Resilient Landscapes Fund through funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and Northampton County.

We aim to acquire the remaining 2,931 acres from Pennsylvania American Water Company and soon after transfer it to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the help of additional funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and from state, local and private sources.

Why This Project Matters

This effort is the largest conservation acquisition in the history of the Lehigh Valley. The lands we are working to protect are located within Pennsylvania’s largest Important Bird Area as identified by the National Audubon Society. More than 140 bird species — including vultures, raptors and songbirds — migrate over the land in this region each fall, making it a globally significant flyway for migrating birds. The area is also home to at least 77 vernal pools, seasonal wetlands that serve as critical habitat for a range of amphibians and other wildlife. Once fully added to the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge, this acreage will offer added recreational opportunities for hiking, hunting, birding and camping.