A late December property transfer saw the Pennsylvania Game Commission take title to over 2,000 acres in Spring Creek Township.

The deal came about as part of a land swap that gave Pennsylvania General Energy rights to drill under State Game Lands 75 in Lycoming County.

A deed for the property transfer filed at the Warren County Courthouse shows the parties as GlenDorn Land Inc. and the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

“The same entity owns both PGE and GlenDorn,” David Gustafson, director of the Game Commission’s

The birth site of Robert H. Jackson is now part of a new State Game Lands as a result of a transfer with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. All that remains at the site is the foundation of the house and barn.

Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Management explained.

“As such, the GlenDorn property was part of the compensation exchanged to the Game Commission for a gas lease of Game Commission owned rights under SGL 75 in Lycoming County,” he explained. “Other compensation included other lands and royalties on any oil/gas produced from the Game Commission owned right under SGL 75.”

Most of the land in Spring Creek Township that was conveyed to the Game Commission is located south of Route 426 and largely bounded by Old Route 77. Several parcels across from the Creekside Golf Course north of Route 426 transferred as did two north of Old Route 77.

The deed states that two tracts totaling 47 acres that make up Creekside Golf Course are not included in the transfer.

Also left out of the transfer is an “Agreement for Solar Energy Ground Lease” between Glendorn Land Inc. and Spring Creek PA Solar Farm LLC” on two parcels located north of Route 426 east of Spring Creek.

Signs marking the boundaries of new State Game Lands 337 are going up including here, along Old Route 77 amid the remnants of a structure.

Gustafson said that, with title secured, Game Commission staff “are actively putting up signage and marking the boundaries accordingly. Those lands are now open for hunting and trapping, as well as other recreation as permitted under Title 58 Regulations for State Game Lands.”

That also includes fishing access to the Brokenstraw Creek.

A couple of historic sites are included in the transfer.

One includes the birthplace of one of the county’s most famous sons – Robert H. Jackson, Chief U.S. Prosecutor at Nuremberg and an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. All that remains at that site is the foundation of the house and barn, which were the subject of an archaeological review several years ago.

The other is the Clough farm, the barns of which remain off of Old Route 77. The future of farm structures is uncertain.

“There will need to be a thorough evaluation conducted for the Agency needs as well as safety and cost of any repairs or demolitions,” Gustafson explained. “At least one of the barns is in a significantly degraded state, nearly 70% caved in roof and lack of structural integrity. It will likely be demolished after all required consultations are completed. The other barn will need to be evaluated and that hasn’t occurred yet,” he added.

The Game Commission said in a statement when the agreement was approved that the Spring Creek Tract “is considered one of the most prized in the area because of its biological diversity” and “will become an entirely new game lands, State Game Lands 337.”