Success Stories & Tools

• Finding Funds
• Planning for Growth
• Livable Communities
• Natural Resources Protection

Finding Funds
One of the most effective strategies that several counties in Pennsylvania have used to bring about smart growth has been to pass a bond that raises money for municipal planning and for the acquisition of important natural landscapes from willing sellers. The money raised from bonds can provide the county with immediate cash flow to acquire land while real estate prices are at their lowest. These bonds can also be leveraged with matching funds from the state of Pennsylvania.

On November 8, 2005, the Pike County Scenic and Rural Character Bond Referendum Ballot question passed with a 68.2% YES vote. The $10 million bond funds will allow Pike County to support innovative municipal planning and permanently protect critical natural resources. A Scenic Rural Character Preservation Bond Ad-Hoc Committee appointed by the Pike County Commissioners recommends spending $8 million on land acquisition and $2 million on planning initiatives. The planning funds include ordinance updates, improved mapping and implementation of comprehensive and open space plans.

Funds from this bond will allow Pike County to support innovative municipal planning and permanently protect critical natural resources.

Planning for Growth
Several Pennsylvanian Counties are using innovative planning to protect their natural resources and quality of life. Chester, Lancaster, Bucks, Berks, Montgomery, Lehigh, Monroe and others have each made major planning interventions to curb sprawl.

Instead of scattered development and declining open space, these counties are:

• Clustering housing and creating compact business districts
• Designating growth areas supported by new infrastructure
• Planning for new towns with a balance of houses and businesses
• Permanently protecting critical open space.

Montgomery County’s work has been so successful, the county recently and overwhelmingly passed a second bond for $150 Million. Some of their success can be seen here: http://www.mclt.org/openspaces/stories.htm

Chester County is balancing development and open space protection: for every acre developed, one is protected.

In the face of substantial growth pressures, Pike County is placing a renewed focus on planning. A major revision to the County Comprehensive Plan is underway (learn more at www.pikepa.org/communityplanning.htm ). A new countywide wide open space plan is now underway. Funding has been secured for the addition of a third county planner, allowing the county staff to provide more support to the municipalities.

Livable Communities
Pike County’s large population of second family homes are becoming principle family residences as more people move out of the metropolitan New York and Philadelphia areas. Yet many of Pike County residents continue to commute long distances out of the County for their work. The resulting bedroom communities typically cost the county more in services required to serve them than in revenues generated. It turns out in study after study that conservation can pay for itself!

(To Come: Graph from Penn State study with costs per residence, business, industrial, open space).

The best alternative is to plan and develop with a balanced mix of homes, businesses, and open space not only for the quality of life these centers provide, but also to ensure our economic prosperity. More information on how conserving key natural areas may avoid higher costs for community services can be found in Opportunity Knocks: Natural Areas as a Community Investment by Michael Frank, Community Planning Director with the Heritage Conservancy. (PDF file)

Natural Resources Protection
Land trusts are diligently working with willing landowners across the nation and throughout Pike County protect the working forests, active farms, and wildlife habitat for future generation. In Pike County, almost 5,000 acres are currently protected with land preservation agreements called Conservation Easements.

With a Conservation Easement, the landowner continues to own the land, pay taxes and use the land, but puts restrictions on the property that will ensure that all future owners are bound by the same stewardship goals that the current owner advocates and puts in place. The Conservation Easement exists in perpetuity and the land trust undertakes the responsibility of ensuring the terms of that Easement are reinforced, typically with annual monitoring visits, forever.

The restrictions written into the Conservation Easement are based on the owner’s requirements and desires, but usually restrict future subdivision and development of the property. In exchange for giving up some of these rights of use on the property, the landowner may be eligible for substantial income tax and estate tax savings. Although there is a financial incentive, landowners use Conservation Easements to ensure that some of the valuable land that they love – with its scenic vistas, beautiful forests, pristine waters and productive farms – remains for future generations.