CEREMONY CELEBRATES PARTNERSHIP, PRESERVATION

Keith Hack and Evan Fesco, Boy Scout Troop 79, tie the ribbon. Standing l to r: Bill Dwyer, Boy Scouts of America, Cradle of Liberty Council; Phoebe Driscoll, Stewardship Committee Chair, MCLT; Jim Maza, and Kate Harper, Co-Chairs, MCLT; Dick Sprenkle, PA DCNR; Troop Leader, Boy Scout Troop 79 ; Phil Wallis, President, NLT; Dulcie Flaharty, Executive Director, MCLT.

The cool rains of a gray spring day could not dampen enthusiasm as a ceremonial “Ribbon Tying” celebrated the preservation of 860 acres of the Musser Scout Reservation in Marlborough Township. On April 25, 2002 Montgomery County Lands Trust and Natural Lands Trust purchased a conservation easement from the Cradle of Liberty Council of The Boy Scouts of America, marking the completion of Phase I of preservation on the 1,196 acre reservation. Grants in the amount of $1.6 million provided by the Montgomery County Open Space Program (through its Private Organization Challenge Grant Program), the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Keystone Land Trust Assistance Program, and The William Penn Foundation funded the effort.

Montgomery County Lands Trust Co-Chairs, Jim Maza and Kate Harper, joined Richard Sprenkle, Deputy Secretary of PA DCNR, William Dwyer, CEO of Cradle of Liberty Council of the BSA, and Phil Wallis, President of Natural Lands Trust, to herald the public benefit of the preservation project. The property, located in the center of the largest contiguous forest in Montgomery County, has long been a top priority for local and county open space initiatives.

Begun in 2000, the effort brought together Montgomery County Lands Trust, Natural Lands Trust, the Boy Scouts of America and Montgomery County working in conjunction with Marlborough Township in a successful effort to permanently protect this rich natural resource parcel.

Purchase of the conservation easement will restrict future development on the property, ensuring that it remains as open space in perpetuity, while allowing the Cradle of Liberty Council to continue camping activities on the site. An agreement with the Council to purchase an easement on the remainder of the Reservation is expected to be completed by the end of 2003. Once Phase II is finalized, the protected area of the reservation will be larger than 67 of Pennsylvania’s state parks. The reservation is home to Camp Delmont, Camp Garrison and Camp Hart and has hosted scout activities since the early part of the 20th century.

• Acquiring easements and encouraging land donation to appropriate stewards
• Facilitating the creation of open space and natural amenities in existing communities;
• Encouraging environmentally sensitive, sustainable development that preserves open space, significan natural resources and our county's unique character;
• Providing educational programs on land preservation and managed growth

SLSM Presented at Mid-Atlantic Conference

MCLT Executive Director Dulcie Flaharty and Michael Frank, Director of Community Planning at Heritage Conservancy, recently presented a work-shop on Saving Land Saves Money at the Mid-Atlantic Land Trust Conference in Gettysburg. They explained the background, data collection and methodology for completing a community cost analysis to support local investment in land preservation. SLSM shows that when a municipality buys land or conservation easements for open space preservation, these expenditures will result in savings for school districts and municipalities. The SLSM project has generated much interest and requests for more information have come from 23 states and 12 other PA counties. An updated version of this publication will be ready for distribution shortly.

Board Welcomes Suzanne Bush

At a recent meeting, Suzanne Bush was officially welcomed to the Board of Directors of Montgomery County Lands Trust. Born in Delaware and a graduate of the University of Delaware, Suzanne brings a wide breadth of knowledge and broad base of experience to the organization. During her nine-year tenure as publisher of The Reporter, the newspaper was twice named Pennsylvania’s Newspaper of the Year, and received numerous awards for editorial excellence, design, photography and sports coverage.

Suzanne was honored for her column, Equinotes, which focused on equestrian news, in both 2000 and 2001, with national recognition from the national governing body for equestrian sports in the United States.

Suzanne is married and she and her husband, Guy, have a dog, Kiwi, a cat, Misha and a horse, Burt. She and Guy enjoy golf together. Montgomery County Lands Trust is pleased to welcome Suzanne as a member of our Board of Directors and looks forward to a productive and rewarding relationship.

MCLT PROTECTS 210 ACRES IN 2001
THREE EASEMENTS RESULT FROM COOPERATION, ADAPTABILITY, DEDICATION

In three separate transactions, Montgomery County Lands Trust accepted conservation easements preserving a total of 210 acres in 2001. In a demonstration of the organization’s adaptability, Montgomery County Lands Trust utilized a different land preservation technique for each of the three projects.

Each easement incorporated a different funding mechanism to accomplish the conservation objective. State, county, municipal, and private funds were used to protect 90+ acres in Worcester Township. A private fund raising initiative resulted in the preservation of 34 acres in Whitemarsh Township. And a third easement of 85+ acres of farmland and woodlands was obtained through the generosity of a private donor. The easements secured in 2001 are a testament to Montgomery County Lands Trust’s cooperative spirit, adaptability, and dedication to land preservation and natural resource conservation.

Myers Family Donates 85.25 Acre Easement

In October 2001, Montgomery County Lands Trust accepted from A. Ross Myers and the Myers’ Family Partnership II, L.P. the donation of a conservation easement on 85.25 acres in Worcester Township. Originally a family farm, American Infrastructure’s corporate headquarters are now situated in the original dairy barn that has been converted into an office. American Infrastructure uses approximately 20 acres of the 106 acre parcel for its corporate operations, while the remainder is still pasture, woodlands, and active agriculture.

In June, A. Ross Myers contacted Montgomery County Lands Trust expressing his desire to preserve the 85 acres that essentially encircled the corporate operations. This conservation initiative demonstrated just how quickly the easement process can proceed when both the donor and the conservation organization are determined to complete the project. Montgomery County Lands Trust, with the steadfast cooperation of the owners, was able to complete all of the administrative and site work necessary in a little over 3 months. Recorded in October of 2001, this easement preserves another 85 acres of open space in Worcester Township.

Township & Lands Trust Join to Save 90 Acres

In a cooperative venture that seemed to have more players than a baseball team, Worcester Township and Montgomery County Lands Trust joined forces to preserve a 90-acre property along the Zacharias Creek. The conservation effort required grant funding from both the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Community Conservation Partnership Grant and Montgomery County’s Municipal Open Space Acquisition Grant Program. In addition, Worcester Township provided necessary match monies, while private funds covered a large portion of the administrative cost.

This collective effort resulted in Worcester Township’s owning 22 acres of the riparian corridor along the Zacharias Creek, while Montgomery County Lands Trust and Worcester Township co-hold a Conservation Easement on the entire 90+ acre parcel. Under the terms of the easement, Worcester Township has the right to construct and maintain a public trail along the riparian corridor. By mutual agreement, Montgomery County Lands Trust assumed the administrative role of monitoring and enforcing the conservation easement. Worcester Township deserves a great deal of credit for the perseverance and determination they displayed during the process. The mutual effort exhibited by all parties involved showed once again that fortitude, creativity, and a little elbow grease can work wonders to complete complicated preservation efforts.

GOOD PARTNERS MAKE GREAT PROJECTS
BY DULCIE FLAHARTY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Public policy abounds with recommendations at the local, county and even at the state level, that large portions of the boulder-strewn creek valley of the Unami should remain as open space. Yet in the world of Southeastern Pennsylvania land conservation, success stories like the preservation of the Musser Scout Reservation are rare.

This project is big. It is beautiful. It is packed with unique natural resources. And it is headed for a happy ending. A remarkable but quiet aspect of this “Win” can be too easily overlooked. Yes, the project has remarkable natural resources, with a size and richness unusual for Montgomery County, but it is also blessed with a unique set of committed partners.

With the completion of the first phase of the project 880 acres are secured. Upon purchase of the second phase conservation easement, 1,196 acres of the largest contiguous forest in our region will be off limits to development, forever.

Natural Lands Trust, a seasoned veteran of large scale preservation projects, provided strong leadership in submitting grants to Montgomery County and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Our friends at both the county and the state enthusiastically provided guidance and money which fueled our efforts. The Cradle of Liberty Council of the Boys Scouts of America, along with being agreeable sellers, cooperated in drafting a reasonable conservation easement that allows scouting activities to continue while protecting the natural resources of the site. Marlborough Township, home of the Musser Scout Reservation, generously agreed to oversee security on publicly accessed areas of the property. The William Penn Foundation provided funding that helped to cover administrative costs. And there are numerous individuals who remain behind the scenes, but for whose help we are very grateful.

Montgomery County Lands Trust is fortunate to have been able to work with many terrific partners on projects completed in recent years. The great success of the preservation of the Musser Scout Reservation is another xample that … Good Partners Make Great Projects!

MCLT Funds Green Gateway for Pottstown

On May 9, 2002 Montgomery County Lands Trust enthusiastically added another ingredient to the revitalization of Pottstown. With the MCLT donation of $25,000, which helped fund acquisition of the Depot Restaurant property, the borough moved one step closer to its goal of establishing a Green Gateway for Pottstown. The under-utilized property sited across from Pottsgrove Manor will eventually be transformed into a welcoming entrance to the borough.

It is with great satisfaction that Montgomery County Lands Trust participates in the unfolding success story of a community that is working hard to recreate itself. We are continually inspired by the opportunities that abound for Pottstown and appreciate that the successes only come with a great deal of thoughtful planning, hard work and tenacity.

A generous bequest from the Estate of Calvin D. Harp has made possible the donation to The Depot Project along with the grant of $34,000, provided to Pottstown Borough last year, to aid in the purchase of the PECO Energy parcel that permanently secured open space for Riverfront Park.

Grants Fuel MCLT Activities

Grants totaling $191,000 will provide critical support for Montgomery County Lands Trust activities. The grants resulted from a combination of factors, including the track record the organization has established in efforts to preserve and protect open space. The grants included:

• A William Penn Foundation grant of $121,000 earmarked for use preserving strategic landscapes, and increasing private land preservation. A component of this is the effort to enhance sustainable towns and villages. WPF remains enthusiastic about Montgomery County Lands Trust initiatives that develop collaborative relationships between Partners for Land Preservation and organizations that work locally and regionally in preserving land. WPF has been a vital partner in Montgomery County Lands Trust activities since 1996.
• A Department of Community and Economic Development grant of $50,000, targeted to helping Montgomery County Lands Trust achieve goals in land preservation and revitalization of our boroughs and towns. The grant will also provide support in our efforts to link communities and natural resource areas with greenways and trails. Support for this grant came from Montgomery County legislators, including Ray Bunt, Ellen Bard, Kate Harper, John Fichter, Lita Indzel Cohen, Roy Cornell, Mary Ann Dailey, Robert Godshall and Eugene McGill.
• A One-year grant from Montgomery County Board of Commissioners of $20,000 for operating support. The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners has been a key supporter since 1997. This grant will support our efforts to focus on Green and Livable Landscapes that save our vanishing open land and help older established communities retain and attract businesses and homeowners. Another component of this grant will support our efforts to further a land preservation ethic for Montgomery County for both the private and the public sectors.

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