Portion of Rachel Carson Trail, amid Indiana Township watershed, nearing preservation status

When Mark Eyerman started walking on the Rachel Carson Trail through Indiana Township in the 1990s, it wasn’t uncommon to be alone in the woods.

“It was at least two or three years before I saw another person on my walks,” said Eyerman, who today is the trail manager for the nonprofit Rachel Carson Conservancy.

“If you go out today and don’t see someone, it’s highly unusual.”

A section of the trail — amid a larger, 280-acre parcel in the Deer Creek Watershed — is slated for conservation pending a purchase by the Allegheny Land Trust this month.

It will be the largest parcel ever conserved by the group and, ultimately, will protect wildlife and recreational opportunities for generations to come.

Lindsay Dill, senior director of marketing and community engagement for the Land Trust, said most of the $2.5 million cost has been secured.

In October, the Pennsylvania Game Commission pledged $1.3 million, voting unanimously to help buy land near Emmerling Community Park.

“The game commission has committed to take on ownership of the land upon ALT’s closing on it,” Dill said. “They will permanently protect it as conservation land, allow hunting and collaborate with the Rachel Carson Trail Conservancy for the group’s continued use of it.”

The Land Trust, based in Sewickley, was created in 1993 to help save local land. It originally sought to purchase the property through state agencies, foundations and $150,000 from the public, but the game commission stepped in with its offer.

The purchase, from Miller Family Holdings LP, will be the largest parcel the land trust has conserved.

The property borders Deer Creek, a trout-stocked tributary of the Allegheny River, as well as the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

A 1-mile section of the Rachel Carson Trail runs through it.

“It locks our trail in place,” said Levi Wilson, a Conservancy board member from Arnold.

“We won’t have to worry about rerouting in the case of new property owners in the future. It keeps the trail active and invites people outdoors.”

Eyerman, of Hampton, said preservation is something his group would have liked to tackle long ago, but it was beyond their capabilities.

Eyerman has been working on the trail nearly 30 years, ever since the start of the Conservancy’s annual Rachel Carson Trail Challenge. The grueling 37-mile trek stretches from Harrison Hills to North Park with a deadline to finish in 15 hours and 4 minutes.

This year’s challenge is June 21.

“We host several trainings but, beyond our group, there’s people that use the trail all the time,” Eyerman said. “We are optimistic about it remaining protected and so far, the game commission has been accommodating.”

The land trust expects to close on the property by the end of March. About 92% of the funds are secured, Dill said.

It leaves a gap of about $200,000.

Fundraising is underway, through individual donations and a pending grant application, to bring in the remaining dollars.

State Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-North Hills, said conserving the land will allow access to world-class outdoor recreation opportunities in their own neighborhood.

“Whether people want to take on the challenges of the Rachel Carson Trail, go fishing in Deer Creek or take a family hike through the woods, I’m always excited to support projects like this one that will improve the quality of life for residents,” she said.