Hyner LZ seems to have been sold to the Nature Conservancy.
Kudos to the Hyner club and the seller to keep the LZ for hang gliding!!!
Hang gliding access secured in state park
Sunday, May 03, 2009
By John Hayes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Hang-glide pilots will find a soft place to land in Clinton County, where The Nature Conservancy and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources have teamed up to guarantee landing rights near Hyner View State Park.
The agreement is part of a recent trend in which complex deals -- sometimes involving multiple purchases, swaps, trades, easements and acquisitions -- are made to provide public access to ecologically valuable land and waters. This deal involves the recent purchase of 66 acres which, combined with an existing 44 acres, will conserve public access to forest land and outdoor recreation sites along the West Branch Susquehanna River. The Conservancy will combine the northern 38 wooded acres with a separate parcel in West Keating Township. The forested parcels will be exchanged for a 60-acre state-owned wooded parcel near the Conservancy's 3,000-acre West Branch Research and Demonstration Forest in Grugan and Gallagher townships, and ultimately the entire Hyner View Farm will be owned by the state. DCNR will purchase 28 acres to provide river access and a hang-gliding landing area for flights departing from the park.
The Nature Conservancy is an international organization that protects lands and waterways, including 15 million acres in the United States.
"This property represents one of only two possible hang gliding landing zones from Hyner View State Park," said Shawn McDuff, president of the Hyner View Hang Gliding Club. "Hyner View is one of the premier hang gliding destinations in the East, and this purchase ensures our sport will always be a part of the local outdoor recreation scene."
Ray McDonald, owner of Hyner View Farm, said he could have sold the land to a developer, but was pleased to reach a deal that will, "provide high quality outdoor recreation opportunities for years to come."
"It's unusual to have so many outdoor recreational values packed into a single property," said Dylan Jenkins, director of forest conservation for The Nature Conservancy. "With this purchase and land exchange, we're ensuring that hang gliding and public river access are protected for future generations."
At the completion of the deal, members of The Nature Conservancy and DCNR say they plan to meet with outdoors enthusiasts to plan for use and improvements to the property.
John Hayes can be reached at jhayes@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1991.
Hyner in the news
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pink_albatross
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Re: Hyner in the news
It's actually far more complex than that.
The land purchased was not our present LZ/campground, but a place catter-corner across the bridge. It will serve as a backup in case we can't get the current field. The owner of the current field promised our place would always be open to hang gliding, but then got into a deal with a shady developer. Nobody feels comfortable with this guy. For the next couple of years while the real estate market is depressed the current LZ is likely not in danger, but if prices shoot up we may lose our current home.
I can assure you we will be tramping all over the new place on Memorial day, plotting for the move we hope never comes. The purchase by the Nature Conservancy not only gives us a backup, but allows us to bargain from a position of strength if it comes to putting together another such deal that would gain us the current LZ.
The officers of the Hyner club had to stay mum until the deal went through, and claim the credit belongs mainly to the DCNR and the Nature Conservancy. But the fact that HG was seen as such a vital aspect of a state landmark bodes well for cutting similar deals elsewhere. Stay friendly to the tourists, they can be valuable assets.
The land purchased was not our present LZ/campground, but a place catter-corner across the bridge. It will serve as a backup in case we can't get the current field. The owner of the current field promised our place would always be open to hang gliding, but then got into a deal with a shady developer. Nobody feels comfortable with this guy. For the next couple of years while the real estate market is depressed the current LZ is likely not in danger, but if prices shoot up we may lose our current home.
I can assure you we will be tramping all over the new place on Memorial day, plotting for the move we hope never comes. The purchase by the Nature Conservancy not only gives us a backup, but allows us to bargain from a position of strength if it comes to putting together another such deal that would gain us the current LZ.
The officers of the Hyner club had to stay mum until the deal went through, and claim the credit belongs mainly to the DCNR and the Nature Conservancy. But the fact that HG was seen as such a vital aspect of a state landmark bodes well for cutting similar deals elsewhere. Stay friendly to the tourists, they can be valuable assets.
Brian Vant-Hull
Re: Hyner in the news
Having the DCNR and the Nature Conservancy on our side is fantastic.
I don't care if it's a "secondary" or not... it's a landing field!
The Hyner Club and it's pilots deserve some big kudos for keeping such a good relationship with the Park.
Jim
I don't care if it's a "secondary" or not... it's a landing field!
The Hyner Club and it's pilots deserve some big kudos for keeping such a good relationship with the Park.
Jim
Re: Hyner in the news
Great news. The Conservancy does great things. I also noticed that hang gliding at Hyner is featured on the brochures for that county at the tourist information centers in PA. That couldn't hurt either.
Christy
Christy