Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act


Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act is a public lands acquisition law enacted in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on 22 June 1964. It permits the state to issue bonds for the purchase of lands for public parks, reservoirs, and other conservation, recreation, and historical preservation purposes, and to coordinate those purchases with local governments. The act also permits acquisition of lands by eminent domain. Once the lands are acquired under Project 70, the General Assembly must approve any disposition of these lands.
The park in northeastern Pennsylvania, ten miles north of Scranton, was known as Project 70 during its construction prior to opening under the name Lackawanna State Park.

List of state parks

Below is a list of Pennsylvania state parks whose establishment or expansion was funded in part by Project 70 monies. The table includes the park name, if it was a new park or addition, the acres acquired, the county or counties it is in, and the dates of the public hearing and approval by the governor.
Park Type Acres
County Public Hearing
Date 		Governor Approval
Date 		Comments
Ohiopyle State ParkNew parkFayette County07-31-196408-08-1964First and largest state park acquired under Project 70; the park opened in 1965 on a limited basis and was formally dedicated in 1971
Tyler State ParkNew parkBucks County09-25-196411-17-1964The park was formally dedicated on May 25, 1974.
Codorus State ParkNew ParkYork County10-30-196412-10-1964The park, which was originally named "Codorus Creek State Park", officially opened in 1970.
Nockamixon State ParkAdditionBucks County04-23-196507-12-1965
Valley Forge State ParkAdditionChester County04-30-196507-12-1965Given to the National Park Service for the United States Bicentennial in 1976;
now Valley Forge National Historical Park
Ridley Creek State ParkNew parkDelaware County05-14-196512-06-1965
Locust Lake State ParkNew parkSchuylkill County06-04-196509-01-1965
Yellow Creek State ParkAdditionIndiana County08-13-196510-06-1965
Moraine State ParkNew parkButler County12-02-196503-23-1966
Moraine State ParkAdditionButler County12-02-196503-23-1966Old Stone House was added to the new park
Maurice K. Goddard State ParkNew parkMercer County12-03-196503-23-1966Originally known as "Sandy Creek State Park", name was changed to honor Maurice K. Goddard
Pymatuning State ParkAdditionCrawford County12-04-196507-25-1966
Little Buffalo State ParkNew parkPerry County01-20-196603-23-1966
Lackawanna State ParkNew parkLackawanna County01-28-196603-23-1966
Scranton Iron FurnacesNew parkLackawanna County01-28-196603-23-1966Transferred in 1971 to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Marsh Creek State ParkNew parkChester County03-11-196606-07-1966
Nolde Forest State ParkNew parkBerks County07-15-196610-21-1966Now Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center
Shikellamy State ParkAdditionNorthumberland County08-26-196611-18-1966This is the marina portion of the park
Canoe Creek State ParkNew parkBlair County08-07-196601-16-1967
Laurel Ridge State ParkNew parkCambria, Fayette, Indiana, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties05-18-196707-10-1967A second hearing was held 05-19-1967
Evansburg State ParkNew parkMontgomery County06-15-196704-18-1968
Oil Creek State ParkNew parkCrawford and Venango counties08-10-196711-14-1967
Ohiopyle State ParkAdditionFayette County06-17-196807-18-1968
Mt. Pisgah State ParkNew parkBradford County06-23-196807-18-1968
Jacobsburg State ParkNew parkNorthampton County01-30-196903-28-1969
Blue Marsh State ParkNew parkBerks County03-27-196906-30-1969Now Blue Marsh Lake and Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 280. Park was completed, but without funds to operate it, so was given to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, now also partly a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers site
Allegheny River State ParkNew parkVenango County05-02-196907-29-1969Now part of Clear Creek State Forest

List of county parks

Park Type Acres
County Public Hearing
Date 		Governor Approval
Date 		Comments
Moon Lake ParkNew parkLuzerne County
Two Mile Run County ParkNew parkVenango County