Since its passage in 2004, the Highlands Conservation Act has provided funding for numerous land conservation projects throughout Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. This page contains coverage of Highlands-funded projects, closing events, and other Highlands-related news.

New park planned along the Susquehanna River in northern York County

Shapiro Administration Invests $52.5 Million In Recreation And Conservation Projects Across The Commonwealth 10/05/2023 

Brandywine Conservancy Preserves Historic Starr Farm, Connects to Other Conserved Areas 12/20/2022

Department of Agriculture Protects 30 Farms In 18 Counties From Development, Forever Protecting 170 Farms, 13,069 New Acres In 2022 12/19/2022

Lebanon Valley Conservancy Preserves Historic Farm With Added Conservation Value for Nearby Wildlife and Watershed 12/19/2022

French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust Preserves 4.45 More Acres And Connects Trails In Chester County 12/15/2022

Brandywine Conservancy Helps Preserve 14+ Acres of Historic Chester County Family Farmland 12/9/2022

Lancaster Conservancy Adds 85 Acres to Two Current Preserves 11/30/2022

Manada Conservancy Acquires 40-Acre Preserve in Manada Gap Through Coordinated Partnership Efforts 11/29/2022

Minnich Family Partners With Lebanon Valley Conservancy To Preserve 16-Acre Farm 10/25/2022

Pa. will add 3 new parks to state park system, Wolf admin. says 7/13/2022

Department of the Interior Announces $279 Million to Support Public Parks, Expand Outdoor Recreation Access 6/1/2022

Land once earmarked for development to be added to state game lands in Furnace Hills 5/2/2022

Pennsylvania Enters The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative 4/22/2022

Gov. Wolf Announces $199 Million Investment In Water Infrastructure Projects In 11 Counties 4/20/2022

PA Awards $65,000 in New Funding to Assist Mountville Borough Community Park in Lancaster County 4/10/2022

Pennsylvania Governor announces $1.7 billion pandemic recovery plan 2/2/2022

Meet Pennsylvania’s First Director of Outdoor Recreation 1/26/2022

French Creek Named Pennsylvania’s 2022 River of the Year 1/25/2022

Gov. Wolf Announces $70 Million Investment To Improve Recreation, Community Revitalization Efforts Across Pennsylvania 12/30/2021

Chunk of largest unbroken forest in the East added to state park 12/15/2021

200 acres preserved in 5 recent conservation deals in Berks County 12/14/2021

PA Does More Investing In “Open Space”, 9/8/21

Berks County landmark hill preserved from development, 4/7/2021

Berks County Landmark Preserved Forever, 3/16/2021

How preserving an Oley Hills forest protects water, plants and animals, 2/12/2021

Fourteen acres added to Nockamixon State Park in Upper Bucks County, 7/9/2020

Land Added to Nolde Forest in Berks County, 1/13/2020

Natural Lands Transfers 59 Acres of Land for Public Use, 8/15/2019

Heritage Conservancy Facilitates Preservation of 35-acre Property in Springfield Township and Lower Saucon Township, 7/10/2019

Land Once Slated for Development has been Added to State Park, 2/19/2019

Lower Saucon buys Highlands open space, 11/1/2017

Lower Saucon approves open space purchase, 11/1/2017

$2.4M grant to help preserve land in Schuylkill Highlands, 8/27/2017

Rep. Ryan Costello announces federal conservation grant for Pennsylvania, 8/24/2017

Natural Lands Trust Preserves 80 Acres For Hopewell Big Woods, Berks County, 1/17/2017

Natural Lands Trust Preserves 80 Acres for Hopewell Big Woods, 1/16/2017

Lower Saucon, Springfield Township agree to preserve 14 acres, 3/3/2016

Costello: Protecting our natural resources, 8/9/2015

Gibraltar Hill lands protected in Berks County, 2/4/2015

Conquering a Steep Conservation Challenge in Berks County, 2/4/2015

Trust: $3M destined for area conservation, 12/23/2014

Hundreds of acres of Oley Hills forests are preserved forever, 1/13/2012

Federal Highlands Funds Protect the Oley Hills, 1/13/2012

Oley Hills properties preserved, 1/13/2012

Federal Funds Protect Pennsylvania Highlands, 1/13/2012

A tall drink of water: Congress primes pump for conservation program in Northeast, 9/1/2009

Cooks Creek stream network is life-sustaining to the region, 11/25/2008

Watershed land deal adds to Big Woods preservation, 12/2/2007

Protecting a ‘natural gem’, 7/18/2007

County next target of Highlands project, 10/20/2005

Seventy-five acres preserved along Rockaway Creek in Tewksbury 2/24/22

Senate Passes Republican-Sponsored Legislation Aiding Land Conservation, Preservation and Recreation 1/10/2022

63 acres preserved in Tewksbury where homes were approved 7/19/2021

County Commissioners Endorse Highlands Master Plan Element and Conformance Petition Package, 2/24/2021

Rep. Sherrill, Bipartisan Colleagues Lead Great American Outdoors Act to Protect New Jersey’s Open Spaces, 6/2/2020

Highlands Trail to get new signs, maps that reflect growing importance, 7/24/2019

Mobile Map and Enhanced Signage coming for New Jersey Highlands Trail, 7/22/2019

Highlands Council to protect 13 priority preservation properties, 1/22/2019

How Trump was just told to stick it on cuts to Gateway Tunnel and some other Jersey stuff, 3/22/2018

Highlands Council Awarded $2.4M for Preservation through Federal Highlands Conservation Act, 1/20/2017

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen’s Highlands Conservation Act included in appropriations bills, 6/19/15

N.J. Highlands Coalition helps champion local land preservation, 1/8/2015

Morris Helps Preserve 835 Acres to Expand Rockaway River Wildlife Management Area, 8/17/2012

835 acres preserved in Jefferson deal, 8/17/2012

Sierra Club: Preservation welcome, given Christie’s attacks on environment, 8/16/2012

835-Acre Property in New Jersey Highlands to expand Rockaway River Wildlife Management Area, 8/16/2012

Highlands Purchase Expands Rockaway River Wildlife Management Area, 8/16/2012

835-Acre North Jersey Highlands Tract Preserved, 8/16/2012

Maloney Celebrates Efforts to Protect the Highlands 7/13/2022

Department of the Interior Announces $279 Million to Support Public Parks, Expand Outdoor Recreation Access 6/1/2022

Governor Hochul Announces Nearly 1,200 Acres Added to Three State Parks in the Hudson Highlands 3/3/2022

Westchester Land Trust Protects 125 Acres of Open Space in Cortlandt 8/18/2021

Maloney Announces Highlands Conservation Act Reauthorization, 4/24/2021

Maloney pushes to re-up Highlands Conservation Act, 4/24/2021

Maloney introduces legislation to reauthorize the Highlands Conservation Act, 4/24/2021

Maloney Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Promote Economic Growth, Protect Natural Resources in the Highlands Region, 4/23/2021

NY Protects Land for Three State Parks in the Hudson Valley, 2/11/2021

260 Acres Added to Three Hudson Valley Parks, State Announces, 2/10/2021

Three state parks in Hudson Valley expand, 2/9/2021

Governor Cuomo Announces 260 Acres Added to Three State Parks in the Mid-Hudson Valley, 2/8/2021

Maloney Helps Pass the Great American Outdoors Act, Reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Protecting Hudson Valley’s Outdoor Traditions, 7/24/2020

1,115 Acres, 1/17/20

State of the State: Cuomo to preserve thousands of Hudson Valley acres, 1/10/2020

HHLT partners with New York State Parks on Fahnestock expansion, 1/10/2020

State to preserve Hudson Highlands land, 4/22/2017

On Earth Day, Governor Cuomo Announces Preservation of More than 5,900 Acres of Parkland in The Hudson Highlands, 4/22/2017

New York State Parks, Open Space Institute Protect Land Near Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park, 4/25/2015

DU a vital new partner in conserving New York State’s Great Swamp, 9/1/2013

North Hollow Property Expands Cranberry Mountain Wildlife Management Area, 12/7/2011

Celebrate Expansion of Sterling Forest State Park in Monroe, NY Friday, September 30, 9/26/2011

Great Swamp gets $1 million grant, 4/11/2008

Highlands Conservation Act Funded for the First Time – $2 million provided for land conservation projects in the region

Connecticut conserves their largest property within the Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program 3/16/2022

Newly conserved Connecticut property has connections to Martin Luther King, Jr. 2/1/2022

Newtown’s Federal Delegation Reflects on Latest COVID Relief Package, 12/22/2020

HVA provides $250,000 to state to protect land in Norfolk, 8/15/2018

A 420-acre parcel protected, celebrated, 7/19/2018

Area land trusts celebrate public-private collaboration, 7/14/2018

Efforts to protect Connecticut’s highlands region move forward, 7/13/2018

A Celebration of the Highlands Conservation Act in Connecticut with Senator Chris Murphy, 7/10/2018

Winchester Land Trust dedicates conservation parcel in memory of Michael Giordano, 5/31/2018

Winchester Land Trust buys Tor-Win Farm with plans to preserve additional 121 acres, 1/8/2018

Bill would protect more northwestern Connecticut highlands, 8/7/2017

Ethel Walker Open Space: Among the Largest Open Space Areas in Connecticut, 12/1/2014

Saving the Upper Shepaug River Headwaters under the Highlands Conservation Act, 10/20/2014

Former Camp Francis Preserved For Open Space in Kent, 9/4/2014

Kent Land Trust celebrates Camp Francis acquisition, 2/12/2014

Norfolk Land trust finalizes 311-acre land buy, 9/1/2013

Norfolk Land Trust Completes Purchase of Camp Iwakta Property, 8/23/2013

Kent Land Trust Under Contract to Protect Girl Scout Camp Francis, 8/6/2012

Saving Camp Iwatka, 5/30/2012

Sherman land trust’s benefit dinner is Saturday, 10/19/2009

Sherman votes to preserve farm and open space, 5/20/2008