Jim Rooney <<email>> sends:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09123/967024-140.stm

Hang-glide pilots will find a soft place to land in Clinton County, where The Nature Conservancy and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources have teamed up to guarantee landing rights near Hyner View State Park.

The agreement is part of a recent trend in which complex deals -- sometimes involving multiple purchases, swaps, trades, easements and acquisitions -- are made to provide public access to ecologically valuable land and waters. This deal involves the recent purchase of 66 acres which, combined with an existing 44 acres, will conserve public access to forest land and outdoor recreation sites along the West Branch Susquehanna River. The Conservancy will combine the northern 38 wooded acres with a separate parcel in West Keating Township. The forested parcels will be exchanged for a 60-acre state-owned wooded parcel near the Conservancy's 3,000-acre West Branch Research and Demonstration Forest in Grugan and Gallagher townships, and ultimately the entire Hyner View Farm will be owned by the state. DCNR will purchase 28 acres to provide river access and a hang-gliding landing area for flights departing from the park.

The Nature Conservancy is an international organization that protects lands and waterways, including 15 million acres in the United States.

"This property represents one of only two possible hang gliding landing zones from Hyner View State Park," said Shawn McDuff, president of the Hyner View Hang Gliding Club. "Hyner View is one of the premier hang gliding destinations in the East, and this purchase ensures our sport will always be a part of the local outdoor recreation scene."

Ray McDonald, owner of Hyner View Farm, said he could have sold the land to a developer, but was pleased to reach a deal that will, "provide high quality outdoor recreation opportunities for years to come."

"It's unusual to have so many outdoor recreational values packed into a single property," said Dylan Jenkins, director of forest conservation for The Nature Conservancy. "With this purchase and land exchange, we're ensuring that hang gliding and public river access are protected for future generations."

At the completion of the deal, members of The Nature Conservancy and DCNR say they plan to meet with outdoors enthusiasts to plan for use and improvements to the property.