Safe Harbor Water Power Corporation, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation and Constellation Energy of Baltimore, announced today (5/8) a landmark agreement with The Conservation Fund to donate nearly 1,000 acres in Pennsylvania's Lancaster and York counties along the Susquehanna River. 

The donation is the culmination of years of conservation efforts between the parties and will protect five miles of woods, bluffs and islands in and along the river for purposes of conservation and public recreation.

"The Susquehanna River, with its world-class waterways and forested corridors, is a natural wonder to be treasured by all Americans," said The Conservation Fund's president, Larry Selzer. "The Conservation Fund is proud to have played a role in helping our partners safeguard the incredible wildlife habitat, recreation areas and historic resources associated with the river as it makes its way to the Chesapeake Bay."

The newly protected land will aid in the conservation of wildlife habitat and water quality along the lower Susquehanna River.  Located within the Susquehanna Highlands, the area, known as the Conejohela Flats, provides important feeding and resting areas for migratory birds and habitat for threatened and endangered species including bald eagle, black tern and osprey.  The conservation of this land also supports Chesapeake Bay restoration initiatives, as the Susquehanna River contributes nearly half of the freshwater flow to the Chesapeake Bay. 

Safe Harbor operates a 420-megawatt hydroelectric power plant on the Susquehanna River, which is used primarily to meet peak demands for electricity.  PPL owns one-third of the plant's generation capacity.

"PPL fully supports this initiative by Safe Harbor to preserve land, enhance public recreation and protect the environmental quality of the lower Susquehanna River," said Dennis J. Murphy, vice president and chief operating officer for PPL's Eastern Fossil & Hydro Generation. "Safe Harbor's actions are consistent with PPL's stewardship of the hydroelectric facilities it owns in Pennsylvania, Maine and Montana," Murphy added.

The waters of the lower Susquehanna River harbor bigmouth and smallmouth bass and are a popular destination for anglers.  Two of the islands included in the donation were designated as seasonal wildlife sanctuaries by Safe Harbor Water Power Corporation in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Lancaster County Bird Club and the Lancaster County Conservancy. 

"The agreement to donate this land is the culmination of over five years of discussions on how to preserve significant portions of lands in the lower Susquehanna River corridor in their natural state for future generations," said Safe Harbor Water Power Corporation's president, Marshall Kaiser. "We have found in The Conservation Fund a partner whose vision for the land use matched ours, as well as one capable of advancing this vision even further.  Safe Harbor Water Power Corporation is proud to provide an initial base of land to advance this vision."

With a fabled history that includes thousands of years of human occupation, the river corridor and islands along the lower Susquehanna remain remarkably wild.  In 1608, Captain John Smith, while exploring the upper Chesapeake, had the first recorded European encounter with the area's native people, known as the Susquehannock.  Smith eventually mapped almost 3,000 miles of the Chesapeake, traveling in a 30-foot "shallop." His voyages ensured the survival of Jamestown, where he based his efforts, and the establishment of democracy in America.
 
"This generous donation will enhance the proposed Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail and complement the many existing water trails in the Susquehanna River watershed," said The Conservation Fund's chairman emeritus, Pat Noonan. "This is yet another of the many connections that the lower Susquehanna area has with the Chesapeake Bay and its heritage."

The Conservation Fund is the nation's foremost environmental nonprofit dedicated to protecting America's land and water legacy for current and future generations. Seeking innovative conservation solutions for the 21st century, the Fund works to integrate economic and environmental goals. Since its founding in 1985, the Fund has helped its partners safeguard wildlife habitat, working landscapes, community "greenspace" and historic sites totaling more than five million acres nationwide. With one percent fundraising costs and 96 percent program allocation, The Conservation Fund is recognized as the nation's top-rated environmental nonprofit by both the American Institute of Philanthropy and Charity Navigator.  Visit us online at www.conservationfund.org.

PPL Generation is a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), which is headquartered in Allentown, Pa., and controls about 12,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to more than 5 million customers in Pennsylvania, the United Kingdom and Latin America. More information is available at www.pplweb.com.