A local nonprofit has received a grant it said it will use to fight for the preservation of 275 forested acres amid ongoing legal challenges in Lower Saucon Township. Citizens for Responsible Development – Lower Saucon Township announced that it is “profoundly grateful” for the 2023 Sierra Club Huplits Wildlife Grant, which is administered by the Allegheny Group of Sierra Club.
The land in the northeastern corner of Lower Saucon Township is part of a “Natural Heritage Inventory Core Habitat located on land subject to scenic and conservation easements within the watershed of the Lehigh River,” CRD-LST said in a news release. The forest is also part of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor and overlooks a section of the 9/11 Memorial Trail.
Citizens for Responsible Development – Lower Saucon Township has been working to preserve the forested land since 2022, when Bethlehem Landfill’s proposed expansion in that area was first announced. The organization said it supports residents who are seeking to enforce the conservation easements, as well as in maintaining rural agricultural zoning for the area near the Lehigh River. The group is also engaged in educating the community about “the importance of preserving the rural nature of Lower Saucon Township,” the release said.
For more information about the Sierra Club and the Huplits Wildlife Grant, visit the Sierra Club websites for the Lehigh Valley and Allegheny chapters. More information about Citizens for Responsible Development – Lower Saucon Township may be found on its website.
This local news story was reported with generative AI assistance.
Above, a Citizens for Responsible Development – Lower Saucon Township yard sign is shown along Friedensville Road in January 2023. Opponents of a proposal to expand Bethlehem Landfill formed the grassroots organization after plans for expanding the facility were announced in 2022. The group was recently awarded a Sierra Club grant to use in its efforts. (FILE PHOTO)