The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has purchased 145 acres of forested mountaintop along Quintuple Ridge above South Avenue, which will be used for academic and recreational use.

The university bought the land for a reduced rate from Harold Lindgren of Smethport, who set the rate as a gift to the university.

“We are very grateful to Mr. Lindgren for his generosity,” said Dr. Catherine Koverola, Pitt-Bradford’s president. “Purchasing this land will enable us to provide additional academic and recreational opportunities for our students to further enhance their Pitt-Bradford experience.”

The parcels that make up the new property stretch from north of Tibbets Avenue to south of Race Street. At the top of the mountain, the land adjoins 130 acres of forested hillside property on the south side of West Corydon Street that was a gift to the university in 2016 from Harry R. Halloran Jr. and American Refining Group.

With the purchase of the Lindgren property, the university owns forest land on both sides of Quintuple Ridge, which was also an important location in the early development of the Bradford Oil Field.

Upon the advice of Ken Kane of Generations Forestry Consulting Foresters, the university will remove about a third of the trees. Those trees are white ash trees that will soon die due to an infestation of emerald ash borer beetles. Treating the trees to prevent the infestation is impractical since it requires yearly injections of insecticide into the trees.

If the trees die before they can be harvested, Kane explained, they will not only lose their monetary value, but also become a hazard since dead ash trees are brittle and prone to toppling over easily in the wind.

Kane explained that the Lindgren family has for generations been the owners and purveyors of Lindgren’s Variety Store in Smethport. Most of the 5&10’s customers worked in the forestry and oil industries, and he and his family enjoy nature and outdoor activities.

“Harold felt it fitting to provide the opportunity to others to learn about the resources and history of our region while enjoying recreational opportunities at the same time,” Kane said. “The Lindgren family feels that Pitt-Bradford is well-suited to implement its vision.”

Generations Forestry is currently taking bids for the timber cut, which should cover the cost of the property. The City of Bradford granted an easement to the university to use a road at the south end of Maplewood Avenue to access the land for tree removal.

Once the ash trees are removed, the remaining trees will quickly fill in the gaps in the tree canopy left by the removal of the ash. The remaining forest is made up of red oak, hard and soft maples, hickory and cherry — a good mix for wildlife, Kane said.

Profits from the sale of the trees should cover the cost of the property for the university, which intends to build recreational trails there and use it as an academic resource for its environmental studies program and a planned environmental science program.

Students will be able to observe and study the mountain’s plants, animals, water health and patterns and more. Along with the Corydon Street parcel, the property can serve as a living laboratory for courses in forestry, field ecology, ornithology, hydrology, soil science, global information systems and more.

Students have already been mapping the Corydon Street parcel using global information systems to mark the location of former oil wells and inventory maple trees.