Western Pennsylvania Conservancy

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) has been around for more than 75 years (1932 - 2007) and exists to protect the water, land and life of western Pennsylvania. Half of all the protected land in Pennsylvania have been conserved by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. The organization also facilitates community floral gardens in 19 counties. This nonprofit organization has been entrusted with preserving Fallingwater, the masterpiece home built by Frank Lloyd Wright in Mill Run, Pa. that members of the American Institute of Architects recently voted the most important building of the 20th century.

Activities

Since 1932, WPC has protected convert|225000|acre|km2. Most of that land is now publicly owned and makes up some of Pennsylvania's premier parks, forests, gamelands, and natural areas - visited by millions of residents and tourists. WPC's work enables protection of important natural resources and creates economic benefits - from tourism in the Laurel Highlands, recreation in the Clarion River and Loyalhanna Gorge, to forestry in the Allegheny National Forest and Forbes State Forest in Westmoreland County.

WPC plants more than 150 community gardens each spring in 19 western Pennsylvania counties.

Restoration projects included Fallingwater (Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpiece).

Projects

WPC acquired land for the creation of these state parks:

* Ohiopyle State Park including Ferncliff Peninsula National Natural Landmark
* Laurel Ridge State Park
* Oil Creek State Park
* McConnell's Mill State Park
* Moraine State Park
* Erie Bluffs State Park

WPC's Community Garden Program and its more than 5,000 volunteers planted a quarter of a million flowers this past spring.

External links

* [http://www.paconserve.org/ Western Pennsylvania Conservancy official site]
* [http://www.fallingwater.org/ Fallingwater]

See also

* Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
* List of Pennsylvania state parks
* Conservation, Architectural conservation