Upper Salford Township lauded for environmental efforts
By Mercury Staff
Posted: February 27th, 2016
UPPER SALFORD >> Upper Salford Township was honored Friday with the county’s second annual “Growing Greener Communities Award.”
The Natural Lands Trust and the Montgomery County Association of Township Officials (MCATO) honored the township for their “impressive guidebook for adopting an interconnected greenway throughout the township,” according to a press release from Natural Lands Trust.
The vote for Upper Salford was a unanimous decision by the review committee.
“Upper Salford has been working for years to embrace the emblematic goals of a Growing Greener Community with ordinance adoption and open space investment. This Guidebook’s adoption is further acknowledgement that they want to follow conservation principles moving forward with protection, greenway and trail building, and thoughtful development,” said Dulcie Flaherty, vice president of community partnerships at Natural Lands Trust.
“Upper Salford Township has taken the lead in planning their growth in a way that protects their cultural and natural resources by creating a comprehensive Greenway Guidebook,” Natural Lands Trust said in a press release Friday. “The Guidebook describes 67 parcels totaling 2,051 acres that are eligible for conservation subdivision. Preserving 60 percent of these properties will yield 1,231 acres of greenway land, putting 21 percent of the township into privately owned conservation.”
Last year’s winner was Montgomery Township for its initiatives for the protection of open space.
“The Growing Greener Communities Award recognizes the innovative efforts of Montgomery County municipalities to provide residents with community open space, greener commercial corridors, multiuse trails, and more,” said Daniel Littley, MCATO president. “MCATO congratulates Upper Salford Township and we look forward to next year’s nominations.”