An end may finally be in sight for the Rockview prison land transfer after a seven- year wait, and university officials say the land will be put to use for research and conservation.
Legislation on the issue is working its way through both branches of the state government, and an end to the controversy about who will own the land could be in sight.
“One way or another we want to get this son-of-a-gun done,” Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, said.
The university will pay $407,570 for the 452 acres it is expected to receive, university spokesman Geoff Rushton said.
The rest of the land will be divided between the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Fish and Boat Commission and Benner Township, Sen. Jake Corman, R-Centre, said.
Rushton said the land would be used as a venue for student projects pertaining to wildlife, fishery and forest management, as well as for other research.
The issue of who will enforce conservation measures on the property was widely debated throughout the entire process, Benninghoff said.
Some suggested that if Penn State were to get the land, conservation might fall by the wayside.
But now, the legislation calls for a memorandum of understanding — a compromise between the new owners of the land to work together to protect it.
Penn State will allow hunting on some areas of the land to manage the deer herd and cannot build classrooms or dump waste on the property. In return, the Game Commission will use the university’s expertise in crops to help reintroduce some plants to the area, Benninghoff said.
Rushton said the university will abide by the conservation rules determined in the legislation.
“There are a number of different areas that will benefit the university and students but also allow the university to be a longtime steward of the land,” he said.
To iron out the final details of the legislation, a lot of compromise has been needed, Corman said. But in the end, it was worth the long wait.
“It was a good compromise. I’m very happy with it,” he said.
The newly acquired land will provide educational opportunities for students, Benninghoff said.
“The overall delay in the long run makes a better opportunity for Penn State students,” he said.