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South Mountain Partnership earns Governor’s Award for environmental excellence

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The South Mountain Partnership has received a 2026 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for its *State of the Region: Activating Conservation in the South Mountain Partnership Conservation Landscape* project.

The award was presented during a ceremony in Harrisburg on June 25, recognizing 26 projects from across Pennsylvania for improving environmental quality, advancing conservation and promoting sustainable communities through innovation, collaboration and measurable environmental impact.

The South Mountain Partnership is a regional network of organizations and individuals working to protect and promote the agricultural, natural, cultural and recreational resources of Adams, Cumberland, Franklin and York counties. The partnership is one of eight conservation landscapes designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and is administered by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

The award-winning project produced the first comprehensive *State of the Region* report for the South Mountain area. Developed with the planning departments of the four participating counties and numerous regional partners, the report serves as a public conservation report card by tracking key environmental and community health indicators while identifying conservation priorities and opportunities for future action.

As part of the effort, partners also updated the region’s Natural Heritage Inventory, creating data to support land-use planning, permitting, conservation decisions and the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory. The report also maps conservation trends, identifies areas of concern and provides recommendations to help guide future investments and environmental projects throughout the region.

State officials said the project was recognized for helping communities better understand regional conservation challenges while providing practical tools and reliable data to support informed decision-making and collaborative conservation efforts.

South Mountain Partnership leaders credited the achievement to the cooperation of county planning agencies, conservation organizations, local governments, funders and community stakeholders who contributed to the project.

Source: South Mountain Partnership

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