Pennsylvania’s newest national wildlife refuge – Cherry Valley in eastern Pennsylvania – yesterday grew by another 2,619 acres near Wind Gap, in Monroe and Northampton counties.

The acreage transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by The Conservation Fund, which acquired it from Pennsylvania-American Water Company in June, was the second phase of the largest conservation land deal ever in the Lehigh Valley. A previous transfer moved 1,731 into the refuge in 2017.

Cherry Valley is 1 of 3 national wildlife refuges managed by the USFWS in Pennsylvania. The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum encompasses 1,000 acres adjacent to Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia and Delaware counties. The Erie National Wildlife Refuge includes 8,777 acres in Crawford County.

The 4,350-acre addition to Cherry Valley, which was first envisioned in 2014, established a core protected area in the refuge and secured more than 5 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

The first acre was acquired for the refuge in 2008.

Cherry Valley preserves forests along the Kittatinny Ridge that support a critical north-south corridor for migratory birds and species migrating in response to climate change.

They also provide critical water quality benefits for communities within the Delaware River watershed. More than 15 million residents rely on the Delaware River for drinking water, including residents of Philadelphia and Trenton, N.J.

Cherry Valley was established in part to protect the federally listed threatened bog turtle, which can be found in wetlands throughout the valley. The new Refuge lands are an important part of Pennsylvania’s largest Important Bird Area, a globally significant fall migration flyway used by tens of thousands of raptors and vultures and millions of songbirds. In addition, the forest habitat is one of the highest ranking in a statewide forest priority assessment, supporting breeding populations of cerulean warblers and other neo-tropical migratory bird species.

The refuge also is open for public recreation. The stretch of the property along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail expands opportunities for the Appalachian Trail Landscape Partnership, which aims to connect the wild, scenic and cultural wonders of the AT with its surrounding landscape.

Funding for the purchase came from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund; Pennsylvania’s Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund; Williams Companies in connection with the construction and operation of the Atlantic Sunrise natural gas pipeline project; the Open Space Institute through its Delaware River Watershed Initiative, capitalized by the William Penn Foundation; OSI’s Northeast Resilient Landscapes Fund, capitalized by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; the National Park Service’s Middle Delaware Mitigation Fund; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through Walmart’s Acres for America program; and Northampton County’s Livable Landscapes Program.

The Conservation Fund has worked in all 50 states since 1985 to protect more than 8 million acres of natural land, including more than 140,000 acres across Pennsylvania.

The National Wildlife Refuge System includes 150 million acres in more than 560 refuges, 38 wetland management districts and other protected areas across the country. There is at least one national wildlife refuge in every state and territory and within an hour’s drive of most major metropolitan areas.

National wildlife refuges provide habitat for more than 700 species of birds, 220 species of mammals, 250 reptile and amphibian species, and more than 1,000 species of fish. More than 380 threatened or endangered plants or animals are protected on wildlife refuges. Each year, millions of migrating birds use refuges as steppingstones.

Refuges are open for a wide range of outdoor recreation and attract more than 47 million visitors. Hunting is permitted on more than 360 units of the system, while fishing is permitted on more than 300 units.

Marcus Schneck may be reached at mschneck@pennlive.com. Start your day in the know by signing up for our newsletter, “Good Morning, Pennsylvania.”