Next Public Meeting re: Musser Gap conservation – March 28, 2019

From Dorothy Blair, NVEC President:

The next meeting on the Penn State/ClearWater Conservancy Musser Gap conservation project will be Thursday, March 28 at 6 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Centre County (780 Waupelani Dr. Ext.)

This is the second in a series of meetings with PSU and ClearWater to zero in on what should happen to the 365 acres of Penn State-owned farm and forest lands off of Whitehall Road, at the southeast border of the parcels Penn State sold to Toll Brothers for student housing development, and near the 100-acre soccer/tournament park site being developed by the Centre Region Parks and Recreation Authority.

The first meeting was held February 7. More than 100 local residents attended, and heard presentations by Penn State President Eric Barron, and by Penn State students who have been studying the land’s geology, history and other significant features. Community members then visited stations set up around the fellowship hall to discuss specific project issues such as agriculture, forestry and recreation.

At the March 28 meeting, Penn State students will give an update on community feedback collected through the Musser2Valley Survey (>1000 responses), and other inputs that are shaping Penn State’s vision for this land. 

Slab Cabin Run flows through this land which mostly sits above the drinking water wellheads for most of our area.

What happens to Musser2Valley will also influence neighboring farmers who are debating conservation easements vs. selling for profit/development.