More than 700 acres were added recently to the state game lands system managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

At the recent meeting, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners approved a land exchange that brought 392 acres to State Game Lands 45 and 156 in Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County.

The land is being exchanged in part for a 9.36-acre Game Commission property in Brady Township, Huntingdon County, that includes Huntingdon Area School District’s vacant 27,000-square-foot Brady Henderson Elementary School.

The commission bought that site in 2014, with plans to renovate the school into the commission’s Southcentral Region Office. That plan was scrapped, and the commission decided not to relocate the region office.

Ken and Christa Boone of Alabaster House subsequently offered to participate in a land exchange to acquire the school and its grounds for the appraised value of $200,000. The commission is providing an additional $241,679 lump-sum to be paid with other cost-sharing funds from third-party commitments for compensation of habitat and recreational losses occurring on game lands from previously approved projects.

This acquisition was made possible by the Natural Lands Trust Inc. which successfully received supplementary funding through partnership grants provided by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Highlands Conservation Act.

At the same meeting, commissioners approved:

A donation of 222 acres adjoining State Game Lands 42 in Jenner Township, Somerset County, from Marion Leonard on behalf of Leonard’s Land Preservation.

The purchase of about 81 acres adjoining State Game Lands 55 in North Centre Township, Columbia County, from Press Enterprise Inc. for $80,000 to be paid with funds from the Game Fund.

A donation of 6 acres adjoining State Game Lands 156 in Heidelberg Township, Lebanon County, from Patricia E. Krall. Access is through the game lands.

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Contact Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.