Land Conservancy of Adams County celebrates preservation-minded landowners, welcomes new board member

The Land Conservancy of Adams County honored landowners who preserved property over the previous year and welcomed one new member to its board of directors during its annual dinner on Thursday, March 14, at the Adams County Historical Society.

The organization honored 4 landowners who preserved Adams County farmland, woodland, open spaces, and freshwater streams in 2023. These landowners were Hanover Shoe Farms, Inc., which preserved 751 acres in Mount Pleasant Township; Harvey and Christine Lee, who preserved 54 acres in Germany Township; Janice Newcomer, who preserved 68 acres in Reading Township; and the American Battlefield Trust, which preserved 48 acres in Cumberland Township and Gettysburg Borough. In the 29 years since its founding in 1995, the organization has worked with local landowners to preserve more than 13,295 acres in the county.

Voted onto the Land Conservancy of Adams County’s board of directors at the dinner was Kelly Alsedek who had previously served on the board from 2015 to 2020. 

Before the banquet, dinner attendees participated in a silent auction and raffle that raised more than $3,800 in support of the Land Conservancy’s mission of preserving Adams County’s rural lands and character.

The Adams County Commissioners have proclaimed the period between the Land Conservancy’s annual dinner and its annual art auction as Land Conservancy Month, March 14 through April 22.

This year’s Art Auction will kick off with a wine and cheese reception during First Friday on Friday, April 5 from 5 to 7 pm at the Adams County Arts Council, 125 S. Washington St., Gettysburg. The auction will be online again this year using BiddingOwl.com/LCAC and will go live following the reception. The donated art will remain on display in the Arts Council’s main gallery through the auction’s close on Monday, April 22.

The Land Conservancy of Adams County is a fully accredited, member-supported nonprofit land trust that works to preserve the rural lands and character of Adams County. For more information about the Land Conservancy and the events surrounding Land Conservancy Month, visit PreserveAdams.org.