Hoppy Road , Falls, PA 18615(Wyoming County)

NOTE: All properties are posted against trespassing. Any visits to the property must be by appointment and accompanied by a representative of the Seller. Trespassers will be prosecuted.

Some properties are on a river or creek, some are forested with timberland, others have bass ponds, some have farmland and fruit trees, native grass fields, and food plots, but seldom does a property have it all. This Property does. It is loaded with deer, bear and huge flocks of turkey, geese, and ducks, plus doves, squirrels, rabbits and grouse all attracted to a diverse mix of habitat that provides food, breeding cover, and roosting habitat. The Susquehanna River was rated one of the top 5 smallmouth bass rivers in the USA.

The Property is available for development or for private use as a storage yard for forest products and minerals, farmland, comes with railroad frontage for a commercial rail siding, hunting land, recreational land, campground, mobile home park, contractor's yard, RV park with boat storage, winery, vineyards, cider orchard, commercial horse stables, and other.

Potential for Development

The Property is located in a rural agricultural zoning area which permits a single-family home to be built on 1 acre and a two-family home to be built on 1.5 acres. Subdivision into smaller sizes is possible.

Fishing the Nearby Susquehanna River (the River)

The River was among the five best Smallmouth Bass rivers in the country. Which also produces trophy-size Muskie, Walleye, and Catfish. The River can be fished from canoe, kayak, boats with outboard motors, or the choice of most river rats, a jet boat outboard which requires very little draft.

Ponds, Creek, Fishing

The Property has multiple bass ponds loaded with bass that are fed from subsurface water. So, no expensive dams or spillways to maintain or insure. No one except the seller has pond rights. Keeler Creek runs through the Property and empties into the Susquehanna River. A Pennsylvania pond or lake with a dam can be a very large liability because of the way the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) classifies lakes into several categories including "high hazard." Insurance on high hazard dams is very expensive and often unobtainable. You don't want to own a pond or a lake with a dam classified as high hazard by the Pennsylvania DEP. We insure these ponds for very little. The ponds contain Bass and Bluegill are home to several species of ducks and geese in season. The ponds are easily fished from canoes, kayak, or the shore. They can also be used for fish hatcheries.

Exceptional Hunting Habitat

The Property has always sported great deer and bear hunting because of a spectacular mix of habitats. There are hundreds of nearby acres of farm fields growing field corn and vegetables; a dozen ponds; coldwater creeks; planted orchards, wild apple and crabapple trees; native stands of Eastern Black Walnut and hickorys; mature hardwood forest consisting mostly of mast producing red, white, black and chestnut oak, dense hemlock evergreen forest, areas of native grassland, and early successional forest of young aspen and cottonwood, all combine to provide everything deer, bear, and other wildlife require. Huge flocks of ducks, geese, and turkeys sometimes numbering 50 , are attracted to the River and the nearby cornfields and also provide for great hunting. There is a healthy population of Doves and Ruffed Grouse on the Property which has multiple coverts where grouse can be had. The cover is a mix of mature woodlands with some young woodlands and heavy brushy areas providing both nesting and roosting cover that the grouse need. Bobcats are on site and den in the cliffs and rocky areas to the east and southeast. Coyote and fox are available for trapping and harvesting. Black bear are numerous and near 400-pound bear have been harvested here.

The Property is currently leased from year to year and cancelable at any time by seller -- to a hunting club which leases from early September through mid-January.

Abundant Groundwater Available from Subsurface and the Susquehanna River:

Abundant groundwater is available on the Property. Ground water withdrawal for irrigation and other purposes or direct withdrawal from the Susquehanna River (the River) is subject to rules and regulations of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC). All new (post-1970) consumptive uses that are greater than 20,000 gallons per day for any consecutive 30-day period are subject to the SRBCs consumptive use make-up regulation. Agriculture is currently exempt from the SRBCs consumptive use restrictions. The landowner has a non-exclusive right to withdraw and use unlimited water for on-site household and domestic usage, but must register all withdrawals exceeding 10,000 GPD under the Pennsylvania Water Resources Planning Act, and/or secure project review for withdrawals of 100,000 GPD or consumptive use exceeding 20,000 GPD, pursuant to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. SRBC regulations are subject to change and the above should not be relied upon in making any decisions on water availability.

Fruit Trees

Several small groups of fruit trees spread throughout the property and are used for eating and for wildlife.

Farmland

The farmland is leased on an annual basis, plus 30-50 additional acres could be put back into working farmland.

Interior Road System. Shale, Gravel and Sand Available for Interior Roads

There is an extensive interior road system (dirt and gravel) used for hunting access and timbering. A map showing the interior roads is available under separate cover as well as a copy of the Road Maintenance Plan is available upon request. Gravel is available on site for use on interior roads and for development, but may not be taken off site or sold without a permit.

Timber

The Property hosts a very diverse mix of tree species including most or all of the following: Black Walnut; Red, White, Chestnut, and Black Oak; Tulip Poplar; Aspen; Eastern Cottonwood; White Pine; Hemlock; Norway Spruce; Hackberry; Gray, White and Black Birch; White and Green Ash; Sassafras; Slippery Elm; Black Cherry; and Hard (sugar), soft (red) and Silver Maple; Serviceberry; Black Locust, and other species.

Wyoming County History, Geography, Geology and Vegetation [The following excerpts are taken from A Natural Inventory of Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, 1995, by The Nature Conservancy.]

Wyoming County, an area of almost 400 square miles, is a rural county located in northeastern Pennsylvania. The Susquehanna River flows through the middle of the county from northwest to southeast and most development is concentrated within its corridor. The southwestern plateau is forested and mostly within state game lands; much of the rest of the county is given over to a mix of agriculture, forest and small villages. In 1990, the population of the county was just over 28,000 (1990 census) and appears to be growing. Both Scranton and Wilkes-Barre are within commuting distances of much of the county. Wyoming County is also approximately 150 miles from New York City and Philadelphia, allowing easy access for vacationers and tourists.

The Endless Mountains, the lakes and creeks, and the pastoral scenery attract many people to the county; these natural qualities are important to both the economic and social well-being of county residents. Second home developments exist around Lake Carey and Lake Winola while hunting and fishing camps are found primarily in the southwestern corner. The rugged hills and forests of the southwest do not lend themselves to development or agriculture but they attract hunters, hikers, and winter sports enthusiasts. The many trout streams that drain this region attract fishermen while the forests of this region provide timber for the wood products industry. The Susquehanna River is a major recreational and scenic resource. Agriculture, although declining in acres, is still an important economic component of the county.

Glaciers have modified the landscape throughout the county. Deposits of rock, sand, clay and silt left directly by the glacier are called unstratified deposits or glacial till. Some of these deposits are as much as 300 feet thick. As a result of the glaciers, many of the soils that developed on till are too stony or wet for cultivation. Many wetlands have formed in the depressions that were the result of glacial scouring and the deposition of ice blocks (kettleholes), as well as glacial deposits that blocked drainage channels and altered stream flow. Stratified sands and gravels deposited by glacial meltwaters are located along many of the major rivers and creeks. The area known as Jayne Bend on the Susquehanna River is a glacial river terrace. Sand and gravel mining operations occur on some of the larger stratified deposits.

The vegetation of Wyoming County reflects the environmental conditions (geology, topography, soils, climate) and disturbance history, both natural and anthropogenic. On a broad scale of vegetation patterns, Wyoming County is located within two major forest types Appalachian Oak Forest and Northern Hardwood Forest (Kuchler 1964, Bailey 1980). A broad band of Appalachian Oak Forest, somewhat analogous to Brauns (1950) Oak-Chestnut Forest, follows the Susquehanna River valley. The river, at elevations between 660 feet where it enters the county in the northwest and 580 feet as it leaves the county in the southeast, is much lower than the surrounding hills and mountains. Oaks predominate where the land has not been cleared on the well drained soils of the sand and gravel terraces and on the steep, south-facing slopes above the river. Black, red, white and chestnut oaks may be dominants or codominants depending on soil moisture and fertility. Other tree species include red maple, black cherry, gray and black birches, white pine, pitch pine, juniper and aspens. Shrubs include species of blueberries, huckleberries and other dry forest species. Northern Hardwood Forest is found in two large blocks separated by Appalachian Oak Forest. The forest in the northeastern portion of the county is highly fragmented by agriculture. The block in the southwestern corner on the Allegheny High Plateaus Section is largely intact. Sugar maple, red maple, yellow birch, hemlock and white pine are common canopy species along with red spruce in some places. [The above excerpts are taken from A Natural Inventory of Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, 1995, by The Nature Conservancy.]

Birdwatching

The Property is loaded with migrating song birds that enjoy the mix of young and mature woodlands, open areas, and brushy cover. Several dozen bird species including many warblers, Indigo Bunting, Orioles, Tanagers, Flycatchers, and several species of woodpeckers congregate in Spring and Summer along with numerous species of resident birds.

Survey: The Property has been surveyed.

Zoning: The Property is zoned Rural Agricultural (RA). In an RA zoning district, minimum acreage to build a single-family home is 1 acre; to build a two-family home, 1.5 acres. Buyer must verify this information with the Falls Township zoning officer at 570-388-6030 and/or consult the Falls Township Zoning Ordinance.

Oil and Gas: Seller to retain subsurface oil and gas. A deed restriction will prohibit any above ground gas related appurtenances. There is presently no gas drilling in Falls Township. Shale gas is prolific in northwest Wyoming County but not in southeast Wyoming County. Projected gas reserves decrease to the south and east the closer one gets to coal country where shale gas deposits were compressed into coal.

Solar: Property will come with a restriction against solar panels to eliminate potential glare onto adjoining property owners.