73 Wooded Acres Protected Near North Park

The Allegheny Land Trust with the help of Allegheny County, plus foundations and other organizations has purchased and protected 73 acres of forest in the Irwin Run Valley, adjacent to North Park. The $500,000 purchase price included $253,000 from the county's portion of Pennsylvania's Growing Greener funding. The remainder came from contributions from foundations, community groups and individuals.

Land Trust Executive Director Roy Kraynyk says the land will be useful both as a green space and a buffer against flash flooding in nearby communities. “A mature forest can hold back about 75% of the annual precipitation. Around here, we average about 40 inches of rain a year, so that’s 30 inches of rain water that’s not turning into flood water in people’s basements and streets downstream." Kraynyk says the Land Trust will tend to the area, and they are in the process of developing a management plan for the woods.