Fern Hollow Greenway

This property consists of wooded slopes, trails, spring seeps and tributaries to Little Sewickley Creek, a “Medium-Gradient Clearwater Creek Community” as defined by the Allegheny County Natural Heritage Inventory (ACNHI).  It is located within the Camp Meeting Woods Biological Diversity Area (BDA), which has been ranked “Exceptional Significance” and contains two occurrences of State Significance; NC001, State Significance S3; and NC002, State Significance S2.  The following is an excerpt from the ACNHI:

"This BDA is recognized as both a High Diversity Area and a Community/Ecosystem Conservation Area which encompasses a significant forest and stream community… The many topographic features, aspects and elevational ranges provided within this large BDA add to the overall biological diversity and potential natural qualities of this site.”

The property is surrounded by public property and has frontage on Fern Hollow and Hallaway Roads, which provide access to Sewickley Heights Park.  Several trails exist on the property that are part of the extensive trail system of Sewickley Heights Park.

The property was listed and being actively marketed when ALT was approached and encouraged by the community to purchase it.  Several developers were interested in the property due to its location and proximity to local and regional amenities.  The 33.6 acres could accommodate several housing sites, which if constructed, would have had a significant negative environmental and aesthetic impact on Fern Hollow due to the steep terrain.  A large area would need to be cleared and graded to create level building pads for homes, driveways, etc.  Construction would have destabilized the moist wooded slopes, disturbed spring seeps and degraded the water quality of Little Sewickley Creek with erosion.  Landscaping for new homes could have introduced exotic and invasive species into the ecosystem, and lawn care could have introduced harmful chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides into the soil and watercourses of the BDA.  Allegheny Land Trust is committed to preserving this greenspace for future generations to enjoy.