BHA PA: Conserve prison lands for habitat and watershed health

SCI Rockview, the state prison in Centre County, Pennsylvania was closed on March 1, 2026, after 111 years of operation. Its closure raises questions about the future of thousands of acres between State College and Bellefonte.

Pennsylvania BHA has joined a coalition of agricultural, conservation, and community organizations in calling for a transparent, community-driven process to help shape that future. Read more about the stakeholder group HERE.

A landscape that matters to hunters and anglers

Rockview’s 5,700 acres include farmland, forested slopes of Mount Nittany, and groundwater recharge areas that help sustain Spring Creek, one of Pennsylvania’s most productive wild brown trout fisheries. Groundwater supplies the cold, consistent flows that make this limestone stream exceptional trout habitat. Protecting the lands where that water enters the ground is part of protecting the fishery itself.

The surrounding watershed also includes public hunting lands. State Game Land 333 includes uplands of Spring Creek Canyon, on land transferred from Rockview in an earlier conservation effort. That transfer opened previously restricted land to hunters and trappers. State Forest lands and Mount Nittany Conservancy lands open to public hunting are in the higher elevations adjacent to or nearby prison property on the ridge.

Why BHA is involved

Rockview’s future matters to the resources BHA members value: healthy habitat, clean water, and outdoor access.

The stakeholder coalition’s priorities include maintaining agriculture, protecting water quality, preserving connected wildlife habitat, and exploring expanded recreation.

BHA hopes to help brings hunters’ and anglers’ perspectives to this community effort. Decisions about Rockview will have lasting consequences, and our members have a stake in ensuring that conservation and public access receive careful consideration through a process that includes meaningful public input.

What you can do now:

Write a letter expressing your concerns about the SCI Rockview lands to:

Sam Robinson
Deputy Chief of Staff for Consumers and Environment
Office of Governor Shapiro
508 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120

Explain why this landscape matters to you as a hunter, angler, or Pennsylvania resident. Ask for a transparent planning process that includes meaningful public participation and prioritizes water quality, wildlife habitat, and opportunities for public access.

Send a copy to your state House representative and state senator so they understand your concerns as well.

Use BHA’s Elected Officials Directory HERE in our Action Center to find your state legislators.

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