North Branch Land Trust raises money to extend trail

The North Branch Land Trust is working to build a trail, such as this one, that will serve as an extension to the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor.

Submitted photo

According to Paul Lumia, executive director of the North Branch Land Trust, the organization has protected over 17,000 acres in Northeastern Pennsylvania

Submitted photo

The North Branch Land Trust is working to build a trail, such as this one, that will serve as an extension to the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor.

Submitted photo

According to Paul Lumia, executive director of the North Branch Land Trust, the organization has protected over 17,000 acres in Northeastern Pennsylvania

Submitted photo

A Back Mountain-based land protection group is branching out from its usual wheelhouse of land protection and working on something a bit different for them — trail creation.

The North Branch Land Trust recently kicked off its annual appeal in hopes of raising funds to aid the completion of a trail extending from the Seven Tubs Nature Area in Plains Township to Northampton Street in Wilkes-Barre.

"We're not really trail-builders. … We're more of a land conservation organization," said Paul Lumia, executive director of the North Branch Land Trust.

According to Lumia, the North Branch Land Trust has been working in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1993 to preserve land in the watershed of the north branch of the Susquehanna River.

The Land Trust began in 1993 when a group of individuals in the Back Mountain grew concerned about over development in the area and sought to preserve land for future generations.

"Since 1993, we've conserved a little over 17,000 acres in eight Northeastern Pennsylvania counties," said Lumia.

But if, as Lumia pointed out, the North Branch Land Trust is not typically in the practice of building trails, what makes this project different?

According to Lumia, the attraction to the trail project comes from it being a part of a larger project.

The roughly 6-mile planned trail will be an extension of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, a trail which currently extends from outside Philadelphia to Mountain Top.

"The trail is a big project for us," said Lumia. "It's a great asset for our community, and we felt we could help in getting it done."

The Land Trust's annual appeal will serve to cover administrative costs, with Lumia expecting it to bring in between $20,000 and $30,000. The rest of the costs will be covered by a grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, bringing in $495,000 for the project.

"We're working with the landowner to acquire the surrounding acreage that includes the trail," Lumia said. "We have a deal on the table to acquire the land, and that deal will be closing soon."

As for when exactly the project will be done, Lumia says that it's "complicated."

"It'll take about a year to finish," Lumia said.

"We're working with various municipalities to get approvals. Working with Laurel Run, Plains Township and Wilkes-Barre Township," he said. "Once we get approvals, we'll put out bids for contractors."

For more information on the North Branch Land Trust and this upcoming trail project, visit the group's website, www.nblt.org.

Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6119

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Source: North Branch Land Trust raises money to extend trail