Westmoreland Land Trust Invites Public to Celebrate New Property Addition at Cedar Creek Park! Drones with cameras and TV screens -- along with radio-controlled model helicopters, jets, and giant-scale planes -- will be flying at Cedar Creek Park, Rostraver Township, on Thursday, May 12 to celebrate the addition of 28 more acres of land to this popular Westmoreland County park.

The public is invited to this “The Sky’s the Limit” celebration, which will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the new property, located at the top of Cedar Creek Gorge and directly next to the park’s radio-controlled airfield on Timm’s Lane.

In addition to the action-packed air show conducted by members of the Mon-Valley Radio Control Club, other activities include balsa-wood airplane flying contests and nature-journal-making for kids; wildflower walks in the beautiful Cedar Creek Gorge; and a raffle for a Hubsan drone with FPV ($500 value). Popcorn, hot dogs, and other fun foods will be available, and the event is free and open to the public.

“The Sky’s the Limit” will begin with a deed-transfer ceremony and remarks from representatives of the Westmoreland County Commissioners, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the state legislature, and other dignitaries.

The Westmoreland Land Trust, a nonprofit organization that seeks to conserve open space in Westmoreland County is hosting the event.

“The Westmoreland Land Trust and the Westmoreland County Bureau of Parks and Recreation worked together to acquire this new property because of its noteworthy ecological and recreational value,” explained Chuck Duritsa, chairman of the Westmoreland Land Trust.

Located on top of a steep slope at the eastern edge of Cedar Creek Gorge, the new property provides an important, undeveloped buffer for the gorge, which is a Natural Habitat Area and a designated Biodiversity Area of Exceptional Significance known for its spectacular wildflowers.

The property also will provide more recreation opportunities for park visitors, including new trails and, because of its elevation, new scenic outlooks, as well as room for enhancements to the existing radio-controlled model airfield adjacent to it on the north.

Cedar Creek Park is the second-most frequently used Westmoreland County Park. It offers prime access to the Youghiogheny River and the Great Allegheny Passage hiking/biking trail, and features ball and soccer fields, a boat launch, an amphitheater and 19 pavilions. The new acquisition will increase the size of the park to 480 acres.

Funding to acquire the new property was obtained by the Westmoreland Land Trust and the Westmoreland County Bureau of Parks and Recreation through competitive grants awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of Recreation and Conservation and the Colcom Foundation.