Lacawac’s Commitment to Land Preservation
Lacawac’s preservation efforts are driven solely by charitable and educational purposes, ensuring that conservation opportunities and responsible stewardship endure for generations. Through land protection initiatives and community engagement, we connect people to the importance of sustaining forests and waterways. Our mission safeguards clean drinking water, biodiversity, outdoor recreation, and the overall beauty and quality of life in our region.
We recognize that every property and landowner is unique, and we are dedicated to helping you find the best land preservation option for your needs. Lacawac partners with private landowners, municipalities, and conservation organizations to protect land through two primary approaches:
By preserving land today, we ensure a lasting legacy of conservation that benefits both the environment and future generations.
Lacawac’s preservation efforts are driven solely by charitable and educational purposes, ensuring that conservation opportunities and responsible stewardship endure for generations. Through land protection initiatives and community engagement, we connect people to the importance of sustaining forests and waterways. Our mission safeguards clean drinking water, biodiversity, outdoor recreation, and the overall beauty and quality of life in our region.
We recognize that every property and landowner is unique, and we are dedicated to helping you find the best land preservation option for your needs. Lacawac partners with private landowners, municipalities, and conservation organizations to protect land through two primary approaches:
- Conservation Easements – We work with landowners to establish conservation easements, allowing them to retain ownership while restricting or eliminating development potential. In some cases, we also refer landowners to other trusted local land trusts that can provide additional resources or tax incentives.
- Land Donations – We accept land donations from landowners who wish to permanently protect their property by transferring ownership to Lacawac Sanctuary.
By preserving land today, we ensure a lasting legacy of conservation that benefits both the environment and future generations.
Conservation Easements
|
Land Donation
|
Lands Owned
Lacawac Sanctuary550 Acres | Wayne County
Conserved in 1966 Open to the Public Sunrise to Sunset |
Mark and Courtney Peterson
|
Browning Beaver Meadow Sanctuary78 Acres | Wayne County
Conserved in 2010 Open to the Public Sunrise to Sunset |
Price Simpson Wetlands Sanctuary34.1 Acres | Wayne County
Conserved in 1996 Not Open to the Public |
Protected Lands
Lake View Easement11.16 Acres | Pike County
Conserved in 2021 |
Lacawac Sanctuary Land Acquisition History
1966
Isabel and Arhtur Watres founded the Sanctuary with a donation of 341 acres.
1976
Isable and Arthur Watres donated an 18-acre parcel.
1979
Henry and Charlotte Van Duesen Trust gave 18 acres to Lacawac (site of the beaver dam)
1994
Arthur and Isabel Watres donated an additional 76 acres.
1998
Gertrude Walker’s bequest of land in Hollisterville and a 1996 Pennsylvania Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) enabled Lacawac to purchase the 25-acre Ledges Tract.
2001
Lacawac acquired a 3-acres and a house – the Director’s Residence or Gate House. The acquisition was funded in part by a $17,000 grant from DCNR.
2003
Acquisition of 18.66 acres on the northern end of the Sanctuary, including 600 feet of Wallenpaupack lake frontage – funded by a $370,000 grant from DCNR, a $5,000 grant from the John and Helen Villaume Foundation, contributions from Arthur Watres, Chad Reed Watres, and Jack Spall and financing assistance form the Dime Bank.
2004
The Partner Ridge Tract, 10 acres, which is contiguous to the field west of the Coulter Visitor Cetner was funded at $165,000 by members’ donations and by a DCNR grant in partnership with the Delaware Highlands Conversancy.
2022
Mark and Courtney Peterson intend to donate their land to Lacawac Sanctuary. The Peterson’s donated 87 acres in December of 2022 in Lackawaxen Township in Pike County, PA. The property is known as the Mark and Courtney Peterson Nature Preserve.
2023
Lacawac purchases two Sanctuaries originally owned and maintained by the dissolved Northeastern Pennsylvania Audubon Society. The Browning Beaver Meadow Sanctuary located north of Honesdale is 78 acres and was originally conserved in 2010. The Price Simpson Wetlands Sanctuary is 34 acres and is in Lake Ariel. It was originally conserved in 1992.
Isabel and Arhtur Watres founded the Sanctuary with a donation of 341 acres.
1976
Isable and Arthur Watres donated an 18-acre parcel.
1979
Henry and Charlotte Van Duesen Trust gave 18 acres to Lacawac (site of the beaver dam)
1994
Arthur and Isabel Watres donated an additional 76 acres.
1998
Gertrude Walker’s bequest of land in Hollisterville and a 1996 Pennsylvania Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) enabled Lacawac to purchase the 25-acre Ledges Tract.
2001
Lacawac acquired a 3-acres and a house – the Director’s Residence or Gate House. The acquisition was funded in part by a $17,000 grant from DCNR.
2003
Acquisition of 18.66 acres on the northern end of the Sanctuary, including 600 feet of Wallenpaupack lake frontage – funded by a $370,000 grant from DCNR, a $5,000 grant from the John and Helen Villaume Foundation, contributions from Arthur Watres, Chad Reed Watres, and Jack Spall and financing assistance form the Dime Bank.
2004
The Partner Ridge Tract, 10 acres, which is contiguous to the field west of the Coulter Visitor Cetner was funded at $165,000 by members’ donations and by a DCNR grant in partnership with the Delaware Highlands Conversancy.
2022
Mark and Courtney Peterson intend to donate their land to Lacawac Sanctuary. The Peterson’s donated 87 acres in December of 2022 in Lackawaxen Township in Pike County, PA. The property is known as the Mark and Courtney Peterson Nature Preserve.
2023
Lacawac purchases two Sanctuaries originally owned and maintained by the dissolved Northeastern Pennsylvania Audubon Society. The Browning Beaver Meadow Sanctuary located north of Honesdale is 78 acres and was originally conserved in 2010. The Price Simpson Wetlands Sanctuary is 34 acres and is in Lake Ariel. It was originally conserved in 1992.
