Preserving Chester County’s open space, farmland, and natural features is an essential component to protecting our quality of life, economy, and future. After all – Chester County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state!

Back in the 1980s, Chester County’s protected open space accounted for less than 20,000 acres of land. Today, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the County Commissioners and many local residents and land preservation groups, nearly 30% (or almost 150,000 acres) of the county’s overall land is permanently protected. This is a huge accomplishment for Chester County, and supports the preserve goal found within Landscapes3.

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Heading into its 26th year, the Chester County Town Tours and Village Walks program – like most of the nation – was faced with the many new challenges of COVID-19. While it was no easy task to replace the experience of walking through a town or village and seeing firsthand the unique character, the “Virtual Summer Series” went from a mere vision to an exciting reality thanks to the hard work and dedication of this year’s sponsors and volunteers.

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In the spring of 1945, a group of concerned citizens from the West Chester and Wilmington areas came together to listen to Clayton M. Hoff – the man would later become known as the founder of the small watershed movement in America – talk about the water quality of the Brandywine Creek.

Learning that the creek was not much more than an open sewer at the time, in addition to thousands of tons of soil being washed into the creek each year (diminishing the water quality and choking wildlife), the citizens decided to band together to create the first small watershed organization in America. They called themselves the Brandywine Valley Association (BVA).

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When it comes to protecting Chester County’s environment and natural resources, municipalities can help their communities take action in a number of ways.

One way is through natural resource protection standards, which can be implemented by municipal ordinances in order to protect, conserve, and enhance the area’s resources and their functions. The best and most effective way to do this is comprehensively – as land, water, and ecosystems are often interconnected.

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Public engagement is a key component of the planning process. Selecting and analyzing methods of public engagement has become particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic, as traditional methods of outreach may no longer be sufficient to reach all audiences, or may no longer be possible due to health restrictions. Online engagement, community centered outreach, and in-person meetings \ are public outreach strategies that municipalities may want to consider.

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