Tamarack Wildlife Center’s acquisition of an 80-acre property in Crawford County represents a significant milestone in western Pennsylvania wildlife rehabilitation, made possible through Colcom Foundation’s specialized conservation loan program. The transaction demonstrates how targeted philanthropic financing can address critical infrastructure needs within the environmental sector while preserving sensitive ecological areas.
Conservation Loan Fund Facilitates Rapid Land Protection
The acquisition utilized Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Colcom Foundation Revolving Loan Fund, a $1 million initiative established specifically to enable conservation organizations to secure properties before competitive buyers emerge. The loan fund provides grants in the form of short-term loans to land trusts and other nonprofit organizations seeking to preserve open space and conserve high priority properties, with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy offering a 0% interest rate on loans for the first six to 12 months contingent on project and loan approval.
Tamarack Wildlife Center treated 1,720 patients last year, representing a 500-case increase from previous years alongside 20 percent growth in educational programming. The Saegertown facility’s 11-acre footprint proved insufficient for quarantine protocols and limited indoor educational capacity to 15 participants.
Executive Director Carol Holmgren described the operational constraints: “Right now, we are bursting at the seams and have clearly outgrown our location. It’s very challenging to complete the patient care and educational programming that our community asks of us”.
Ecological Significance Drives Conservation Priority
Crawford County planning documents classified the Hayfield Township property as having “exceptional significance” regarding biological diversity, with designation as an “important bird area” by the Pennsylvania Biological Survey. The site encompasses diverse habitats including meadows, forests, wetlands, and Cussewago Creek frontage, positioned within a region zoned specifically for conservation.
The property’s strategic location provides interstate access while offering multiple habitat types for wildlife release programs. Future development plans include a public interpretive trail and indoor classroom accommodating 50 participants, expanding the center’s educational reach significantly.
Cordelia Scaife May’s Conservation Legacy Through Strategic Financing
Founded by Cordelia Scaife May in 1996, Colcom Foundation has deployed financial support mechanisms to accelerate land conservation across western Pennsylvania. The revolving fund regenerates as loans are repaid thereby providing financing for new projects, with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy drawing on decades of conservation experience and a long history of collaborating with local conservation organizations to accomplish shared goals.
The loan program addresses a persistent challenge within conservation finance: high-priority properties often require immediate action while fundraising campaigns typically span 18-24 months. Previous recipients include Allegheny Land Trust’s protection of 168 acres in Franklin Park’s Big Sewickley Creek watershed through a $400,000 loan in 2015.
Since its establishment, the revolving fund has enabled multiple organizations to secure conservation properties throughout the region while providing technical assistance from Western Pennsylvania Conservancy staff. The fund’s self-sustaining model ensures long-term availability for future conservation opportunities, extending the original foundation investment’s impact across multiple projects.
Tamarack Wildlife Center’s expansion exemplifies targeted conservation finance addressing both immediate infrastructure needs and long-term habitat protection goals. The partnership between specialized funding mechanisms and established rehabilitation organizations demonstrates effective resource deployment within Pennsylvania’s conservation sector.
