The passengers aboard Flight 93, traveling from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California, learned that their plane had been hijacked as part of a larger attack on America. Two other hijacked planes had already struck the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City, and a third had crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Knowing what was at stake, the passengers decided to fight back. As they attempted to overtake the plane, the terrorists intentionally crashed it into an open field near rural Shanksville, in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, killing all passengers and flight crew on board.

The flight data recorder that was recovered from the crash site revealed that the terrorists’ target was Washington, D.C., likely the United States Capitol Building. Flight 93 crashed only 20 minutes flying time from Washington, D.C.

Honoring the Heroes

In 2002, Congress passed the Flight 93 Memorial Act authorizing the creation of the Flight 93 National Memorial at the crash site. Since then, the Conservation Fund has worked with the National Park Service and other public and private partners to secure funding and land for the memorial.

Between 2006 and 2011, The Conservation Fund and The Pennsylvania Game Commission worked together to protect more than 600 acres located immediately north of the Flight 93 National Memorial site to establish State Game Lands 93 to compliment the memorial. Public and private partners, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the McCune Revolving Fund, National Park Service, and Richard King Mellon Foundation helped with the acquisition.

State Game Lands 93 is open to the public for recreation and hunting. It also protects wildlife habitat, provides open space, serves as a land buffer for the entrance to the Flight 93 National Memorial and preserves the memorial’s natural setting and viewshed.

Why This Project Matters

The September 11^th attacks were the deadliest attacks on American soil by a foreign entity. Preserving this place where history was made not only tells the story of that day, but also honors the individuals who gave their lives to save others. To date, we’ve helped protect over 600 acres within the Flight 93 Memorial boundary and State Game Lands 93.