The Pennsylvania Game Commission accepted a motion at their meeting on Friday, July 12, to acquire about 660 acres in Cherry and Clay townships, Butler County, from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, for a lump-sum payment of $1,165,344.

The Game Commission’s acquisition of the land is contingent upon the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy itself closing on the land, which currently serves as a buffer zone for the nearby Northwest Sanitary Landfill, a waste disposal facility operated by Waste Management.

A screenshot from video of the Pennsylvania Game Commission's meeting on Friday, July 12.

According to a spokesperson from Waste Management, the landfill has reached its maximum capacity and is set to close by the end of 2024.

The land itself is split into two parcels, the eastern of which is located adjacent to State Game Lands No. 95. They both can be accessed by Pry Road, West Sunbury Road, Kuzma Road and Wolford Road. According to the meeting’s agenda, the land features a heron rookery.

The bulk of the million-plus lump sum, $874,008, will be funded through an Endangered Species Act grant, as an unspecified “federally endangered species” was found to exist on the property through a Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory review. The remaining $291,336 will come from the Game Commission’s restricted account.

The nine-member Game Commission voted unanimously to approve the acquisition, aside from Dennis Fredericks, who abstained due to a prior affiliation with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

It was the second commitment by the Game Commission to purchase land from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy during that meeting. The Commission also agreed to purchase about 150 acres in Mercer County from the conservancy for $160,000.

Kristen Koppenhafer, the Game Commission member representing northwest Pennsylvania — including Butler County — praised the decision, saying it fits within the commission’s goal of preserving as much wildlife in Pennsylvania as possible.

“It’s not just a willy-nilly land grab here and there,” Koppenhafer said. “For us as a state agency with the responsibilities that we have for wildlife, to look the other way when an opportunity presents itself would be a miss on our part.”

Earlier in the week, Cherry Township supervisors Chairman William Smith said he and his constituents have reservations about the transaction, as it could result in a decrease in tax revenue from the departure of Waste Management.

“Our main concern … is that there will be no more property tax on it, and it will tie up the property forever,” Smith said. “Basically, nobody can buy or sell or develop any of the property. Once the Game Commission gets it, the township’s going to lose out on tax dollars.”

Smith also questioned whether Cherry Township needs more public land. The township already is home to the sprawling State Game Lands No. 95.