WILKES-BARRE — Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday announced the locations for three new parks that he’s adding to the 121-state park system in Pennsylvania — including Howland Preserve at the Vosburg Neck, Wyoming County’s first state park.
A$45 million investment will create new recreational opportunities to meet the commonwealth’s high demand and conserve nearly 3,500-acres of vital natural and cultural resources.
The other two new state parks are Susquehanna Riverlands in York County, and Big Elk Creek in Chester County.
The names are temporary, as final names for the state parks will be decided during the planning process.
“I’m proud to have secured funding in my final budget to make this investment in our park system which will not only preserve invaluable natural resources and habitats for wildlife but provide in-demand access for Pennsylvanians to enjoy the beauty of nature and recreational opportunities,” Wolf said.
Ellen Ferretti, executive director at North Branch Land Trust, said she cannot wait for a time in the near future when she will be able to visit the new PA DCNR State Park in Wyoming County.
“I can’t wait to see the faces of children of all ages as they look with awe on the mighty Susquehanna River and the magnificent forested hills that enshrine it at this iconic location,” Ferretti said. “And to see the paddlers enjoying the easy access to the water and all that lies beyond — to know that this land will be protected and enjoyed as part of the PADCNR State Park system — forever.”
Ferretti also thanked Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, for her efforts to bring a new state park to the people and towns of the Northern Tier, as well as the visitors and tourists who will visit from well beyond the region.
Christina Dilks Taylor, NBLT board chair, said the North Branch Land Trust is tremendously excited that the Howland Preserve will join Pennsylvania’s awarding winning state park system.
“We have been honored to protect and steward this uniquely beautiful property for almost 20 years,” Dilks Taylor said. “Now, we are proud to be a part of this historic moment as Wyoming County receives its first state park. We have every confidence that the Howland Preserve will become an important destination and provide outdoor recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike.”
Dilks Taylor added, “This will also contribute to the economic vitality and environmental health of the local Tunkhannock community and the greater Susquehanna watershed. We are grateful to Gov. Wolf and the entire DCNR team. We extend a special thank you to Sen. Lisa Baker whose vision and determination saw this project through to the end.”
DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said each new park site is unique in its value to a great system.
“All of the new parks are steeped in cultural pre- and post-Colonial history, centered around important water resources and represent fantastic natural resource value,” Dunn said.
Vosburg Neck/Howland Preserve
Fast Facts:
• 669 acres
• Under NBLT care since 2003
• Area first settled after the Revolutionary War
• Owned by Howland Family from 1941-2003
• Washington Township, Wyoming County
• Approximately 2 miles of river frontage on the Vosburg Neck
• Non-motorized boat launch, picnicking areas, hiking trails
Ferretti said the Howland Preserve is at the heart of the Endless Mountain Heritage Region (EMHR) and includes a combination of open meadows, forested trails, and Susquehanna shoreline allowing for hiking, biking, kayaking, and more. The preserve also includes home and farm structures originally constructed in the late 19th century. It includes roughly 2 miles of Susquehanna River shoreline in an area known as Vosburg Neck.
The area now known as Vosburg Neck was first owned by seven Connecticut families after the Revolutionary War, including Abraham Vosburg, a Revolutionary soldier for whom the Neck is now named.
In the early half of the 1800s, the transportation of timber and coal increased traffic in the Wyoming Valley, and by the 1880s, a Norfolk Southern Railroad Tunnel on Vosburg Neck shortened the journey.
By the late 1800s and early 1900s, population on the Neck began to boom thanks to the subdivision of farmland. Evidence of this boom was further seen with the construction of a church, school, and cemetery.