Press release by Heritage Conservancy posted 13 April 2026
Heritage Conservancy has started the year with another conservation success! In December 2025 and March 2026, Heritage Conservancy partnered with Williams Township’s Land Preservation Board to protect 82 adjoining acres in Williams Township, Northampton County.
Photo courtesy of Bruce Kutz, Sr.
Owners Bruce & Rosemarie Kutz, Sr., conveyed an easement to Heritage Conservancy and Williams Township, preserving their property in perpetuity. The property features tributary headwaters of the Delaware River-Fry Run Watershed, two freshwater ponds, forested riparian buffers, freshwater wetlands, interior woodlands, native grasslands and pollinator meadows, and scenic views. The property also contains steep slopes, prime farmland, and farmland soils of statewide importance.
Building a Corridor of Protected Land
The property is connected to an existing 24-acre conservation easement held by Heritage Conservancy, Williams Township, and Northampton County, creating a 108-acre swath of contiguous preserved lands. Combined with another 30-acre easement closed in December 2025, the total permanently preserved acreage in Williams Township has now reached nearly 2,250 acres.
“Habitat connectivity is an important factor for supporting biodiversity,” says Heritage Conservancy’s Conservation Biologist, Sebastian Harris. “Wildlife need room to roam, whether that be in the form of large contiguous forests, wetlands or open meadows and grasslands. The preservation of the Kutz property greatly aids in addressing that need. Insects, birds, and other wildlife will benefit from the protection of the plant diversity found on these lands, as well as the water features.”
Williams Township Conserved Land as of 2026
Protecting the PA Highlands
Preserving the Kutz property helps protect the rural character of Williams Township and the Pennsylvania Highlands, safeguarding important wildlife habitat, water quality, vernal pools, and scenic viewscapes within the Delaware River Watershed.
“For over 25 years, Heritage Conservancy has worked with Williams Township to preserve some of the Township’s most ecologically diverse and scenic properties. The partnership we have formed over the years is invaluable to our mission,” said Matt Babbitt, Senior Resource Protection Specialist for Heritage Conservancy. “We are grateful to Williams Township and the Kutz Family for their patience throughout the preservation process. With the Township’s recently renewed Open Space program funding, we look forward to protecting more beautiful open spaces that will benefit future generations and native wildlife.”
Heritage Conservancy will be the holder of the conservation easement, with Williams Township serving as the co-holder. Williams Township and the Lower Delaware Wild & Scenic River Management Council provided the funding for this preservation success.
For more information regarding land conservation, contact Matt Babbitt at mbabbitt@heritageconservancy.org or click HERE to learn more.
About Heritage Conservancy
Based in Doylestown, PA, we protect land throughout Bucks, Montgomery, and Northampton Counties.
Land * History * Community | We protect natural land and open space, preserve local history, and educate the next generation to care for nature. 16,973 acres protected, 715 historic places on our register, 142 school programs since 2025.
