Transforming Trexler: Trexler Game Preserve at 100

Lehigh County hired URDC to create a master site plan to further develop and preserve the County’s 1,100 acre Trexler Game Preserve. This unique site is home to buffalo, elk, and palamino horses, in addition to local wildlife. The preserve is also home to the Lehigh Valley Zoo.  URDC worked with County staff and the Trexler Trust to develop resource preservation guidelines and lay out a multi-use, non-motorized trail system on the site.  URDC worked with Wildlands Conservancy, a regional land conservancy familiar with the preserve, and Natural Resource Consultants, Inc. of Fort Hill, PA, renowned specialists in innovative deer management and wildlife education programs.

In 2005, halfway through the planning process the name was changed to Trexler Nature Preserve to better reflect its purpose. As public funding decreased in recent years, the preserve had become less available to the public and fell into poor condition, including deteriorating internal roads and trails and an increasing infestation of the aggressive Autumn Olive shrub. The URDC team worked with county staff and the Trexler Trust to develop a complete system of trails. The trail system includes varying lengths to accommodate short and long hikes and different types of users, including bikes, horses, joggers, walkers, and the handicapped. The plan also includes:

• Cost estimates, including $2.75 million in capital costs
• Trail design guidelines
• Recommendations to:
• Change the name to the Trexler Nature Preserve to focus the attention on General Trexler’s bequest and better reflect the various natural elements that the preserve offers
• Organize volunteer efforts to better maintain the preserve

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