PGC approves purchase of land

Commissioners plan to designate tract for endangered bat conservation

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners approved the acquisition of the 1,367-acre tract of land in Taylor Township that locals call "the mountain ground" on Saturday.

The $1.2 million acquisition is being paid to Roaring Spring Borough with funding from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Game Commission and the Indiana Bat Conservation Fund, Roaring Spring Borough Council President Rodney Green said.

The IBCF funds projects "important to the conservation and recovery of the Indiana bat within Pennsylvania," the Game Commission said in a press release. As the bat is a federal- and state-listed endangered species, the acquired land will be managed primarily for its benefit.

The purchase is subject to approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The $1.2 million will be set aside by the borough for investment, Green said.

"We would take the interest from that fund but not touch the principal," he said.

Before the acquisition, the borough used a forester to sustainably log timber off the land. However, Green said the borough is at the end of its acceptable timber so it can no longer log the ground.

The money received for the timber was used to relieve the tax burden on borough residents, and Green hopes that the interest from the investment money will do the same.

"It will help offset some of our expenses, and hopefully put off tax increases or minimize the increases," Green said.

The acquisition's approval comes after protests from the borough's residents who wanted the land to stay under local control, as it was donated to the borough by Roaring Spring founder Daniel M. Bare.

Despite the pushback, the Roaring Spring Borough Council voted 5-2 to approve the land sale option.

The land sale wasn't the only time the mountain ground has caused residents and council members to disagree. In September 2021, "council unanimously voted to revoke all permits for the land, disallow hunting for those who live outside of the borough and ban the use of ATVs on the property," according to Mirror reports.

When asked about the reasoning behind the restrictions, Green said they were due to "concerns over liability and recent alleged vandalism that occurred on the property."

During a phone interview for a previous article, Green said the measures were temporary until the council could "figure out what to do next," Mirror records show.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.