Master Plan approved for Turtle Creek Park

Feb. 14—LEWISBURG — East Buffalo Township Supervisors approved a master plan for the Turtle Creek Park Project that will allow the township to move forward with seeking grants and support from local legislators.

At Monday night's public meeting, the supervisors unanimously accepted the plan from Landscape Architecture, of Lewisburg, for the 79-acre park. The master plan was formed after a series of meetings with community members and stakeholders since the property was purchased in 2022.

The township did not receive a state Department of Community and Economic Development grant that it applied for last year for phase one. The goal is to reapply for the grant in the spring and look for local funding sources, according to Brian Auman, of Landscape Architecture.

"If we do this right, we can really minimize the municipal out-of-pocket costs to implement these things," said Auman. "It's especially a great opportunity because we're matching recreation and conservation. That opens up two separate funding routes through state and private funding sources."

The township purchased the property from Lewisburg Alliance Church on Nov. 4, 2022, for $954,750. The property is located along Supplee Mill and Furnace roads just west of Route 15 in East Buffalo Township. The land includes a mix of open fields, wetlands, woodlands and streams.

At a meeting in April, the township supervisors said the first phase of the project would cost an estimated $290,460 from Herbert Rowland & Grubic Inc. (HRG) of Lewisburg.

Auman said the priorities in phase one are improvements to parking, the dog park and establishing trails with Americans with Disabilities Act access.

"Beyond that, I think everybody's priority is the trails, and how we can make those better, and how we can address the muddy water issues," said Auman.

The Master Plan identifies several locations designed for people to sit or gather in small groups, and include the fenced dog park, pavilion, wildlife viewing areas, scenic overlook and the natural amphitheater. Also planned are a network of trails, including mowed trails, natural surface trails and single-track trails for hiking, biking and equestrian use.

Options to address wet areas include mulching of trail surfaces, relocating trails to elevated areas, using logs or elevated boards, excavating areas adjacent to trails to provide the fill for an elevated trail, or constructing a boardwalk in some area. The Master Plan also called for an educational pond or wetland with Americans with Disabilities Act access, which will be designed to capture and infiltrate water, filter out sediment and nutrients, improve water quality, improve biodiversity and create important wildlife habitat.

Other features are picnic areas, a nature playground, a fishing demonstration area, a bird blind or wildlife observation deck, a park overlook seating area and a natural amphitheater. The land management areas include three acres of manicured park area, 20 acres of land forest, 33 acres of oak savanna and 24 acres of floodplain forest, according to the Master Plan.

The conservation side of the Master Plan calls for natural/wildlife corridors, restoration of the floodplain forest, restoration of wetland habitat, invasive plant control, stream and floodplain restoration, rewilding of keystone species and establishing a groundwater recharge area.

Supervisor Chair Jim Knight said the Master Plan is "very helpful" in supporting the grant applications. He said the state looks for "strong legislative support" from local lawmakers when considering grant applications.

"It shows we got community input and developed an overall plan. Then, there will be a series of steps from there to develop the park," said Knight.

The supervisors voted to apply for a small grant from the Charles & Betty Degenstein Foundation to fund trail improvements and restoration at Turtle Creek Park in coordination with Bucknell University's Environmental Studies Class. The deadline to apply is March 1.