In 2010, Heritage Conservancy received an Community Conservation Partnerships Program (funded in part by the Environmental Stewardship Fund) grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for open space preservation in Durham Township, Bucks County. Funds were used to acquire conservation easements on approximately 37 acres of land along Mine Hill Road. The area is now known as the Rattlesnake and Mine Hill Wildlife Preservation Trust property.
The property is adjacent to the Durham Bat Mine, one of the largest bat hibernacula in Pennsylvania, home to six species of bats and two species of “special concern.” The preservation of the Rattlesnake and Mine Hill property has helped to further protect an important natural area which serves as a roosting and foraging site for the bats.
“This is good news for Heritage Conservancy, Bucks County, and all local residents,” said Senator Mensch (R-Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery, and Northampton). “Grants that protect open space and our natural environment are long-term investments in communities and improve the quality of life for everyone.”
Durham Township, at only 6,410 acres, is one of the smallest of the 31 townships in Bucks County. Prime agricultural land and the rolling, wooded terrain are its two predominant characteristics. Cooks Creek, classified as an Exceptional Value coldwater fishery by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Department of Environmental Protection, drains about two thirds of the township’s area.
