T wo hours from the tall buildings of Manhattan and Philadelphia live some of the world’s largest black bears. They are in northern Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance of other wildlife.
The streams, lakes, meadows, mountain ridges and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region. Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats are endangered by highway construction. To protect the Poconos’ natural beauty from irresponsible development. The Nature Conservancy named the area one of America’s “Last Great Places”.
Operating out of a centuryold schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the conservancy’s bud Cook is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection. By forging partnerships with people like Francis Altemose, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14,000 acres of environmentally important land in the area.
Altemose’s family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations. Two years ago Francis worked with the Conservancy farm in a county farmland protection program. As a result, his family’s land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7yearold grandson.
“The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community,” Cook said. “The people who live there respect the land. They value quite forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife. They are eager to help with conservation efforts.”
For more information on how you can help The Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world’s other “Last Great Places”, please call 1888564 6864. or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.tnc.org. 【2005年6月】
距离高楼林立的曼哈顿和费城两小时车程的地方，栖息着一些世界上最大的黑熊。
这些黑熊栖息于宾夕法尼亚州北部泊科勒山区，这里也是很多其它野生动物的乐园。
小溪、湖泊、草地、山脊还有森林使得泊科勒不仅是黑熊的理想栖息地，同时也吸引了大批游人前往。建设房屋危及这里的开放空间，而修建高速公路更是这块野生动物栖息地的莫大威胁。为保护泊科勒山的自然风光免受不负责任的开发之害，大自然保护协会将此处命名为美国的“最后胜地”。
在宾夕法尼亚长湖的百年老校的教室里，大自然保护协会的搭档库克正与当地民众和商界领袖商讨如何协调经济增长和环境保护二者的关系。通过与弗朗西斯·艾特莫斯一样的当地民众通力合作，大自然保护协会已成功地保护了超过14,000公顷且有重要环境影响的土地。
艾特莫斯一家几代人都在这块土地上耕作。两年前，弗朗西斯与大自然保护协会合作，并参与了包括他的农场在内的一项农田保护计划。结果皆大欢喜，弗朗西斯一家的土地可以不受当地发展的侵扰，同时他还有可靠的资金来源以便为他7岁孙子的将来作打算。 Cook attributes the Conservancy’s success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents.
库克促成了大自然保护协会在泊科勒地区取得成功，他代表大自然保护协会与当地民众合作以保护这块土地。
“保护这块神奇土地的关键是与当地社区联系在一起，”库克说：“住在这块土地上的居民都很看重他们的土地。他们非常重视大片的森林，清澈的溪水以及多种多样的野生动物。他们也希望能够为保护这片土地而努力。”
