South Mountain Partnership (SMP) awards the Spirit of South Mountain each year to an individual, project, or organization that has made exceptional efforts to promote good stewardship of the South Mountain Region. This year’s awardee was the Tuckahoe Project, enacted by Central Pennsylvania Conservancy (CPC), Cumberland County, York County, and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). The award ceremony was held at SMP’s 15th annual Power of the Partnership event on Friday, September 12, 2025.
(L-R) Clair Doll, Chief Clerk; Scott Burford Vice President Commissioner; Julia Chain, Program Manager of the South Mountain Partnership; Julie Wheeler President Commissioner; Katie Hess, Executive Director of the South Mountain Partnership; Doug Hoke Commissioner; Barbara Bair, County Treasurer; Greg Bower, County Controller; and Sean Kenny FNLT, York County Land Protection Committee
(L-R) Clair Doll, Chief Clerk; Scott Burford Vice President Commissioner; Julia Chain, Program Manager of the South Mountain Partnership; Julie Wheeler President Commissioner; Katie Hess, Executive Director of the South Mountain Partnership; Doug Hoke Commissioner; Barbara Bair, County Treasurer; Greg Bower, County Controller; and Sean Kenny FNLT, York County Land Protection Committee
The Tuckahoe Project involved acquiring a tract of approximately 900 acres around Camp Tuckahoe, an active Boy Scouts of America (BSA) camp in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. Located near state game land and the Appalachian Trail, the Tuckahoe Tract protects critical habitat for important plants and wildlife, safeguards the water quality of Dogwood Run, a tributary of the Yellow Breeches Creek, and provides a buffer for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. This core conserved area of South Mountain was at risk for development and will now serve and be enjoyed by generations to come.
Over a three-year acquisition process, CPC purchased it from the BSA with funding from the Cumberland County American Rescue Plan, York County Open Space and Land Preservation Program, the DCNR Keystone Recreation Park and Conservation Fund, the Nature Conservancy, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Wild East Action Fund. Ownership of the tract will transfer to DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry to include it in Michaux State Forest. The Bureau plans to open it for public access once the transfer is complete. More information about the transition and the schedule for opening is available in these fact sheets:
“The Tuckahoe Project embodies the community collaboration we uphold at SMP: the engagement of multiple levels of government, two major nonprofits, and a permanent steward to manage the land’s resources for public benefit,” says Katie Hess, director of SMP. “It safeguards a vital buffer to the Appalachian Trail, strengthens forest resilience for changing climates, and provides a core conserved area within South Mountain. We are proud to see this work flourish through partnership.”
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