Shawmont Planning and Waterfront restoration

After working through the last year, Natural Lands Trust (NLT) has completed planning for the Shawmont Valley. The goals from the community were about how to best preserve the natural landscape that makes up the Shawmont Valley. Recognizing that some development will ultimately be coming to Shawmont, the Shawmont Civic Association turned to Natural Lands Trust, whose expertise is in land preservation to explore planning opportunities. NLT made a series of recommendations for how the community can best proceed to best preserve the diversely forested landscape of Shawmont. The Stewardship Plan for Shawmont Valley both recognizes potential development and providing alternative options that offer less density for development.

A grant through the Schuylkill Restoration Fund has allowed work to proceed with planting and restoration work along the Shawmont waterfront area. In restoring the native plant cover through adding more trees and understory plants our goal is to create better absorption for stormwater and to create a better environment for wildlife. One section of the Ottinger tract will see the planting of a meadow. This meadow will be planted over an area that is currently made up of coal silt fill and will be a special mix to create a shallow root mix in an area that currently does not sustain most plant life. We will also be planting a wide variety of native trees. Through restoring a site formally used for industry the goal is to create regenerative landscape that will evolve overtime adding to the diversity of both native plants and wildlife along the Schuylkill River.