About Us

OUR HISTORY

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The Lake Erie Region Conservancy (LERC) is a land trust that was formed in 2000 to identify, conserve, and protect the natural, cultural and historic resources in Pennsylvania's Lake Erie watershed.  It was initially formed to preserve the Coho site on the shoreline of Lake Erie, which in 2004 successfully became the 540-acre Erie Bluffs State Park, the first new state park in 25 years.  The Elk Creek Access Area, formerly owned by Girard Township, was incorporated into Erie Bluffs in 2009 making the park 587 acres.  The park has nearly two miles of frontage on Lake Erie and two-thirds of a mile on Elk Creek.

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• LERC owns 11 properties totaling 216 acres. 

• LERC holds easements on 6 properties totaling 171 acres.

• LERC has  assisted with the transfer of 9 properties to state agencies and local municipalities totaling 1,346 acres.

• Total acreage saved with direct LERC involvement: 1,733 acres or 2.7 square miles.

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OUR VISION

The Lake Erie Region Conservancy will be:

• The premier organization in the region working to preserve land and water resources for public access and recreational use.

• The one stop resource for land owners seeking the best approaches to permanently preserve their property for conservation purposes.

• The leading advocate working with local municipalities to encourage them to use environmentally responsible development practices and avoid sprawl.

• The first choice as a partner for collaborative efforts when other community organizations are pursuing conservation projects.

• An organization with strong financial and volunteer resources that will enable it to further its mission and pursue projects that will enhance the quality of life for all the communities served by the Conservancy.    

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