A dozen Centre County conservation, agricultural and community organizations are calling on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration to engage in a “transparent, community-driven planning process” for the future of Rockview state prison land.
The coalition’s letter to Shapiro this month asks for his administration to “prioritize conservation, public access, and sustainable land use” with planning that “preserves its unique cultural heritage, serves the public good, and sustains natural resource values for generations to come.”
“The Rockview property holds critical environmental and agricultural value, and it is important that the community has a meaningful role in shaping its future,” Elizabeth Crisfield, executive director of ClearWater Conservancy, said in a statement. “Our collective group of agricultural and conservation stakeholders is ready to be part of that decision-making process. We know many others across the region, not just within the conservation community, are equally enthusiastic about contributing their perspectives and vision.”
Rockview prison officially closed on March 1 after 111 years in operation and six months after the Department of Corrections formally decided to shutter the facility, citing cost savings of up to $100 million.
What will become of its more than 5,700 acres of land between the State College and Bellefonte areas — including vast expanses farmland, groundwater recharge areas for Spring Creek, and forested slopes of Mount Nittany — is unknown. Administration officials have said some of the property will be maintained by the Department of Corrections for the neighboring Benner Township state prison.
The coalition called the land “an iconic regional landmark” that “helps define the landscape of Happy Valley and provides environmental functions that are essential to the region.”
They laid out a vision that includes using the land for public good by expanding access and outdoor recreation through the creation of a public trail connecting Mount Nittany to Spring Creek Canyon. That supports goals in the Chamber of Business and Industry in Centre County’s recent Economic Development Strategic Plan, namely amplifying the region as a tourism outdoor recreation hub and investing in in placemaking and social gathering spots.
A new trailhead also improves access for Mount Nittany Conservancy’s trail system and takes pressure off the Lemont trailhead, according to the letter.
Prime farmland, the organizations wrote, should continue to be used “to support local food systems, maintain cultural heritage, and sustain the region’s agricultural economy.”
They also called for maintaining forested habitat corridors and safeguarding groundwater recharge areas for Spring Creek, which they noted “is an international angler destination because of the healthy, wild trout population.”
Any development that occurs on the property, according to the coalition, should result in no net increase in stormwater runoff and should utilize “the highest standard of sewage treatment” to protect Spring Creek.
“Centre County Farm Bureau fully supports the suggested use of the current Rockview property as outlined by the collaborating organizations, Daniel M. Kniffen, president of Centre County Farm Bureau, said. “It is the belief of this organization that the area will be best served if the property can remain as a source for critical above average ground water recharge, continued active farming and extensive forest production. The use will also continue to sustain the open space between two concentrated population centers. We believe this is a benefit appreciated by the local citizens and general population of both locales.”
The land represents a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity, the organizations said, and decisions about its future will shape the area for decades to come.
Because of that lasting impact on the region, “robust public input” is needed, according to the coalition, and the groups offered their readiness to partner with state agencies and local governments through their technical expertise, community connections and stewardship experience.
“Protecting Mount Nittany in its natural state has been a generational project for Penn State alumni and residents of Central PA,” Chris Buchignani, vice president of Mount Nittany Conservancy, said. “Preservation of the mountain must remain a priority for aesthetic, ecological, cultural, and recreational purposes, and the Mount Nittany Conservancy vigorously supports an ambitious, creative vision to extend this spirit of conservation to the surrounding landscape.”
Signatories on the letter included leaders from the Centre County Farm Bureau, Centre County Farmland Trust, Centre County Historical Society, Centre County Pennsylvania Senior Environmental Corps, ClearWater Conservancy, Keystone Water Resources Center, Lemont Village Association, Mount Nittany Conservancy, Sierra Club Moshannon Group, Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited, TCO Fly Fishing and Wildlife for Everyone.
The future of the Rockview property has been a focus of discussion since the Shapiro administration revealed more than a year ago that it was considering closure of the prison located in College and Benner townships, as well as the Quehanna Boot Camp in Clearfield County.
State Reps. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, and Dallas Kephart, R-Clearfield Co., introduced legislation in October that would mandate any deals for Rockview prison land be subject to public scrutiny through oversight by the state attorney general and public disclosure of bidders and bids, among other measures.
Conklin also introduced a bill in November that would require the state to reserve a portion of any Rockview prison land it plans to sell and make it available to Centre County for workforce housing.
Portions of the Rockview property have been sold off in the past in what Conklin suggested were “sweetheart deals.”
“I’ve been here for the history of that property being given away, and we’re going to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.
