About

In the language of the indigenous Lenape people, Kittatinny means “Big Mountain.” This describes the Kittatinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape geophagy well. Located in eastern Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains, the Kittatinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape encompasses forested ridges and fertile valleys that provide clean water, sequester vast amounts of carbon, and serve as a crucial corridor for rare wildlife and songbird migration. It also plays a leading role in Pennsylvania’s working lands and outdoor recreational economies. The Kittatinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape supports military readiness as the home of the Pennsylvania National Guard’s Fort Indiantown Gap (FTIG): the busiest National Guard training center, the Army’s second busiest heliport, and one of only three specialized Army NG aviation facilities.

Rapid population growth and development around the Kittatinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape’s main highways have decreased open space and increased light pollution, threatening FTIG’s nighttime training capabilities. These pressures impact military installations specializing in Air and Missile Defense; sensitive species, like the eastern regal fritillary butterfly and cerulean warbler; ecosystem services, including drinking water, farm products, and timber; recreational resources; and landscape resilience. Currently, only 20 percent of the Kittatinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape is protected, which has attracted a myriad of partners to collaborate on strategic actions aimed at protecting the landscape's natural resources.