Penn State dean praises collaboration in passage of Rockview land bill

Penn State dean praises collaboration in passage of Rockview land bill

Bruce McPheron, dean of the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, discusses the Rockview land transfer with citizens at a January public meeting.

University Park, Pa. -- The same spirit of cooperation that led to the passage of state legislation transferring ownership of about 1,800 acres of former Rockview prison land will help the new landowners manage the property for maximum public benefits, according to Bruce McPheron, dean of Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Under the legislation -- introduced by Reps. Mike Hanna and Kerry Benninghoff and shepherded through the Senate by Sen. Jake Corman -- Penn State will pay more than $400,000 for about 452 acres of mostly cropland for use by the College of Agricultural Sciences. The Pennsylvania Game Commission will receive about 1,200 mostly wooded acres, the state Fish and Boat Commission will get a 141-acre parcel that includes Spring Creek Canyon, and Benner Township will assume ownership of nearly 25 acres.

"We will work closely with our landowner partners to manage this property in a way that preserves its unique natural features and ecologically sensitive areas," McPheron said. "At the same time, these parcels present an outstanding opportunity to conduct collaborative research and educational programs that ultimately will lead to solutions for some of the world's pressing food-, environment- and energy-related challenges."

McPheron said likely uses for Penn State's portion of the Rockview land include studies on organic and sustainable agricultural practices and research on cropping systems for the production of renewable-energy feedstocks. He noted that the University will work to finalize a conservation easement with environmental organization Clearwater Conservancy and the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, as required by the legislation.

The parcels transferred to the two state agencies and Benner Township are expected to be managed for hunting and passive recreation.

"I'm happy we were able to achieve our ultimate objective of protecting this sensitive area while putting it back into public use consistent with the environmental needs of the property," said Hanna. "I'm particularly pleased that the high-value agricultural land will become a laboratory for the College of Agricultural Sciences to demonstrate best practices that can protect the environment in proximity to farms."

Benninghoff noted his belief that the rigorous public debate about ownership of the Rockview tract resulted in a positive outcome. "Ultimately, this compromise plan provides the best protection for the valuable natural resources contained on this land," he said. "I'm also excited about the opportunity this will provide for Penn State and the other agencies involved to collaborate in offering educational programs and hands-on learning for students in the College of Agricultural Sciences and across the University."

Corman stated that while the process took a while, he thought the outcome was the best for all parties. "The final product was better than each of the previous proposals, and the agreement will provide the most public gain," he said. "I am pleased that the land will provide many worthwhile uses, and I am looking forward to seeing top-level research by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences."

McPheron praised the local legislators for their role in crafting the agreement embodied in the final bill.

"Now that the property transfer has been accomplished, our faculty will start a detailed analysis of the land and soils to determine the best uses of the University's tract, consistent with the legislation and a previously developed master plan," McPheron said.

For more information and background, read the original master plan at http://www.canyonplanning.com/documents/reports/public/Final%20Draft%20Report.pdf online.