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Westmoreland Land Trust to Protect County's Open Space:
Commissioners Create New Non-Profit Organization, Appoint Board
Members
Posted
12-6-07 The Westmoreland County
Board of Commissioners, Tom Balya, Tom Ceraso and Phil Light, today
passed a resolution creating the new Westmoreland Land Trust.
A land trust is a local organization that conserves
land of special value to the community, such as land that
contributes to the region's quality of life because of its scenic,
recreational, environmental, historical or cultural attributes.
"We created this land trust because citizens
throughout the county told us that their number one priority is to
retain the predominant rural character of Westmoreland County," said
Commission Chairman Tom Balya, citing the results of a series of
public meetings held in 2004 to create the blueprint for the
county's future -- its comprehensive plan. "The Westmoreland Land
Trust will be a valuable partner in maintaining, and improving, the
quality of life in Westmoreland County."
Land use plays a crucial role in determining the
future of a region. The primary land use objective in Westmoreland
County, as identified in the comprehensive plan, is to provide a
balance between development and preservation. The land trust will be
an important addition to the organizations that are already actively
working to help achieve that balance because, on the conservation
side, the trust has the potential to preserve a wide variety of
types of land -- such as land that offers scenic vistas, tracts that
help to create a larger greenway corridor through the county, and
sensitive areas that are under pressure for development.
The newly formed Westmoreland Land Trust is an
independent organization, directed by a board of local citizens
appointed today by the county commissioners. The Trust will not be
responsible for any local zoning decisions.
The Trust will hold its first meeting in January,
and some of its initial responsibilities will involve developing a
mission statement, determining operating and land procurement
policies, and applying for non-profit status. The group also will
study the best way to apply some $363,000 in initial
land-acquisition funding that was allocated by the County
Commissioners last year as one of 21 separate conservation projects
in Westmoreland County funded under the state's Growing Greener II
County Environmental Initiative.
Meetings of the land trust will be held at the
Westmoreland Conservation District headquarters, 218 Donohoe Road,
Greensburg. The District is also hosting the trust on its website,
www.wcdpa.com\landtrust.
County commissioners today appointed the following
people to the Westmoreland Land Trust. The 23 Board members will
serve one to three years terms.
| Betsy Aiken, Export, Vice President,
Westmoreland Conservancy |
| Drew Banas, Ligonier Township, Executive
Director, Loyalhanna Watershed Association |
| Mark Bowers, Rostraver Township,
Westmoreland Conservancy Member and Botanist |
| Bruce J. Corna, Jr., Washington Township,
Bruce Construction LLC |
| Chuck Duritsa, Hempfield Township,
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Regional
Director (Retired) and Environmental Consultant |
| Carolyn Graham, Fairfield Township, Dairy
Farmer, Financial Accountant and CPA Candidate |
| Alex Graziani, Greensburg, Executive
Director, Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County |
| Karen Jurkovic, Greensburg, Communications
Consultant specializing in conservation |
| R. Ted Harhai, Monessen, State
Representative |
| Ted Kopas, Hempfield Township, Chief of
Staff, Westmoreland County Commissioners |
| Mike Kuzemchak, Rector, Laurel Highlands
Program Director, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy |
| Larry Larese, Export, Director,
Westmoreland County Department of Planning |
| H. Lewis Lobdell, Ligonier Township,
Executive VP Managing Director PNC CRC, PNC Bank |
| John Lohr, Norvelt, County Executive
Director, USDA Farm Service Agency |
| Michael J. O'Barto, Unity Township,
Chairman, Board of Supervisors, Unity Township |
| John Pallone, New Kensington, State
Representative |
| Tony Quadro, Stahlstown, Assistant District
Manager/Technical Programs Director, Westmoreland
Conservation District |
| Vincent Quatrini, Jr., Unity Township,
Chair, Community Foundation of Westmoreland County |
| Betty Reefer, Bell Township, Director,
Westmoreland County Agricultural Land Preservation Program |
| Malcolm Sias, Unity Township, Planning
Coordinator, Westmoreland County Bureau of Parks and
Recreation |
| Lisa Smith, Stahlstown, Ecologist and Land
Stewardship Consultant |
| Virginia Stump, Westmoreland City, Team
Leader/Area Specialist, USDA Rural Development and member of
the North Huntingdon Planning Commission |
| John Ward, Unity Township, Attorney at Law,
Ward & Christner, P.C. |
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