Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act

Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act is a public lands acquisition law enacted in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on 22 June 1964. It permits the state to issue bonds for the purchase of lands for public parks, reservoirs, and other conservation, recreation, and historical preservation purposes, and to coordinate those purchases with local governments. The act also permits acquisition of lands by eminent domain. Once the lands are acquired under Project 70, the General Assembly must approve any disposition of these lands. [1]

The park in northeastern Pennsylvania, ten miles north of Scranton, was known as Project 70 during its construction prior to opening under the name Lackawanna State Park.

List of state parks

Below is a list of Pennsylvania state parks whose establishment or expansion was funded in part by Project 70 monies. The table includes the park name, if it was a new park or addition, the acres (hectares) acquired, the county or counties it is in, and the dates of the public hearing and approval by the governor.[2]

Park   Type   Acres
(Hectares)  		 County   Public Hearing
Date  		 Governor Approval
Date  		 Comments  
Ohiopyle State ParkNew park18,328.343 acres (7,417.217 ha)Fayette County07-31-196408-08-1964First and largest state park acquired under Project 70; the park opened in 1965 on a limited basis and was formally dedicated in 1971
Tyler State ParkNew park1,680.16 acres (679.94 ha)Bucks County09-25-196411-17-1964The park was formally dedicated on May 25, 1974.[3]
Codorus State ParkNew Park3,235.80 acres (1,309.48 ha)York County10-30-196412-10-1964The park, which was originally named "Codorus Creek State Park", officially opened in 1970.
Nockamixon State ParkAddition659.392 acres (266.846 ha)Bucks County04-23-196507-12-1965
Valley Forge State ParkAddition217.137 acres (87.872 ha)Chester County04-30-196507-12-1965Given to the National Park Service for the United States Bicentennial in 1976;
now Valley Forge National Historical Park
Ridley Creek State ParkNew park2,489.50 acres (1,007.46 ha)Delaware County05-14-196512-06-1965
Locust Lake State ParkNew park1,143.51 acres (462.76 ha)Schuylkill County06-04-196509-01-1965
Yellow Creek State ParkAddition376.8 acres (152.5 ha)Indiana County08-13-196510-06-1965
Moraine State ParkNew park1,091.60 acres (441.75 ha)Butler County12-02-196503-23-1966
Moraine State ParkAddition71.47 acres (28.92 ha)Butler County12-02-196503-23-1966Old Stone House was added to the new park
Maurice K. Goddard State ParkNew park4,867.5 acres (1,969.8 ha)Mercer County12-03-196503-23-1966Originally known as "Sandy Creek State Park", name was changed to honor Maurice K. Goddard
Pymatuning State ParkAddition259.30 acres (104.93 ha)Crawford County12-04-196507-25-1966
Little Buffalo State ParkNew park829.95 acres (335.87 ha)Perry County01-20-196603-23-1966
Lackawanna State ParkNew park1,288.48 acres (521.43 ha)Lackawanna County01-28-196603-23-1966
Scranton Iron FurnacesNew park3.84 acres (1.55 ha)Lackawanna County01-28-196603-23-1966Transferred in 1971 to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Marsh Creek State ParkNew park1,705.35 acres (690.13 ha)Chester County03-11-196606-07-1966
Nolde Forest State ParkNew park665.82 acres (269.45 ha)Berks County07-15-196610-21-1966Now Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center
Shikellamy State ParkAddition46.52 acres (18.83 ha)Northumberland County08-26-196611-18-1966This is the marina portion of the park
Canoe Creek State ParkNew park905.06 acres (366.26 ha)Blair County08-07-196601-16-1967
Laurel Ridge State ParkNew park15,037.70 acres (6,085.54 ha)Cambria, Fayette, Indiana, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties05-18-196707-10-1967A second hearing was held 05-19-1967
Evansburg State ParkNew park3,359.05 acres (1,359.36 ha)Montgomery County06-15-196704-18-1968
Oil Creek State ParkNew park7,197.00 acres (2,912.52 ha)Crawford and Venango counties08-10-196711-14-1967
Ohiopyle State ParkAddition155.00 acres (62.73 ha)Fayette County06-17-196807-18-1968
Mt. Pisgah State ParkNew park1,024.30 acres (414.52 ha)Bradford County06-23-196807-18-1968
Jacobsburg State ParkNew park646.81 acres (261.75 ha)Northampton County01-30-196903-28-1969
Blue Marsh State ParkNew park500.00 acres (202.34 ha)Berks County03-27-196906-30-1969Now Blue Marsh Lake and Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 280. Park was completed, but without funds to operate it, so was given to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, now also partly a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers site
Allegheny River State ParkNew park3,207.40 acres (1,297.99 ha)Venango County05-02-196907-29-1969Now part of Clear Creek State Forest

List of county parks

Park   Type   Acres
(Hectares)  		 County   Public Hearing
Date  		 Governor Approval
Date  		 Comments  
Moon Lake Park[4] New park 650 acres (260 ha) Luzerne County
Two Mile Run County Park[5] New park Venango County


References

  1. ↑ Pennsylvania Dept of Conversation and Natural Resources website Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act, act of June 22, 1964 (Sp.Ses., P.L. 131, No. 8), 72 P.S. §§ 3946.1-3946.22. This law implements Article VIII, Section 15 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, which provides that . . . the Commonwealth may be authorized by law to create debt and to issue bonds to the amount of $70,000,000 for the acquisition of land for State parks, reservoirs and other conservation and recreation and historical preservation purposes, and for participation by the Commonwealth with political subdivisions in the acquisition of land for parks, reservoirs and other conservation and recreation and historical preservation purposes, subject to such conditions and limitations as the General Assembly may prescribe. The act authorizes the Commonwealth and political subdivisions to acquire suitable lands by eminent domain. Under the act, no lands acquired pursuant to the act may be disposed of or used for purposes other than for recreation, conservation and historical purposes without the express approval of the General Assembly.
  2. ↑ Forrey, William C. (1984). History of Pennsylvania's State Parks. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Bureau of State Parks, Office of Resources Management, Department of Environmental Resources, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. pp. 43–44. OCLC 17824084.
  3. ↑ "Tyler State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
  4. ↑ Learn-Andes, Jennifer (3 August 2014). "Nuts and bolts of Moon Lake Park takeover examined". My Dallas Post. Civitas Media. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  5. ↑ "Two Mile Run County Park". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
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