Community destiny: Taking control of conservation

By SANDY LONG

HAWLEY, PA — When it comes to balancing conservation and development, key practices are to identify, prioritize and design communities around core conserved areas. So says Ann Hutchinson, Senior Director of Municipal Conservation Services at the Natural Lands Trust (NLT), an organization based in Media, PA, which advocates for conservation planning.

Hutchinson will conduct a hands-on workshop demonstrating the principles of conservation zoning and conservation sub-division titled, “Growing Greener: Conservation by Design,” on Thursday, October 26, from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the PPL Environmental Learning Center in Hawley, PA.

“Communities can take control of their destinies so that their conservation goals are achieved in a manner fair to all parties concerned,” said Hutchinson. “All that is needed are some straightforward amendments to municipal comprehensive plans, zoning ordinances and sub-division ordinances.”

Communities that fail to plan ahead can find the outcomes undesirable. “Where zoning and planning are weak, the region defaults to wall to wall house lots. That’s because land is zoned for development. Failure to plan and shape that development results in the underlying zoning becoming the planning tool—seldom a good solution,” noted Hutchinson.

Workshop participants will learn how to identify and prioritize areas for conservation and then design communities around those conserved areas, resulting in a network of communities established around core conserved areas. Approaches to development, which consider both environmental and economic benefits, will be discussed.

“Conservation design rearranges residential development so that half, or more, of the buildable land is set aside as open space each time development occurs. The landowner achieves approximately the same level of development, while the community can see an open space network evolve within its boundaries, or even across a region,” said Hutchinson.

The workshop targets those who review development proposals in their communities, as well as county and municipal staff, solicitors, planners, engineers, local conservation organization representatives and other professionals who advise municipalities on development proposals. Developers, architects, realtors and those involved in the design, sales and marketing of subdivisions or anyone interested in learning how new development can create more livable communities are encouraged to attend.

The workshop is part of a series sponsored by the Pike Conservation Partnership (PCP), an alliance of conservation organizations in Pike County. One of the PCP’s partners, the Alliance to Keep Pike Green, was awarded a 2006 NEPA Environmental Partnership Award on October 18. The PCP received this same award in 2005 and was recognized earlier this year with a NEPA Non-profit and Community Assistance Award for Environmental Action and Animal Welfare.

Additional PCP partners include the Pike County Conservation District, Pike County Office of Community Planning, Delaware Highlands Conservancy, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Nature Conservancy, Lackawaxen River Conservancy, Pocono Environmental Education Center, Upper Delaware Visioning Committee and Pinchot Institute of Conservation.

The regional workshop is co-sponsored by the PA State Association of Boroughs, PA Association of Township Supervisors, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the PA Planning Association.

There is a fee of $20 for the program, which covers dinner and materials. Registration is required by Friday, October 20. For information and reservations, call Sue Currier, Executive Director of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy at 570/226-3164 or email info@delawarehighlands.org.