Shrewsbury Township Conservation Fund

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RESOLUTION OF THE
SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

TO CREATE A SEPARATE FUND KNOWN AS THE

“SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP CONSERVATION FUND"

 

WHEREAS, Shrewsbury Township has long been a pioneer in advancing conservation causes; and

WHEREAS, Shrewsbury Township was one of the first municipalities in Pennsylvania to utilize its zoning power to preserve prime agricultural land; and

WHEREAS, Shrewsbury Township established through litigation in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania that zoning for the purpose of preserving prime agricultural land was both constitutional and within the powers granted to municipalities by the Municipalities Planning Code; and

WHEREAS, the Municipalities Planning Code now has been amended to specifically direct that municipalities utilize their zoning power to preserve prime agricultural land, and

WHEREAS, it is recognized by statute (32 P.S. §50011 et seq.) that there are valuable conservation resources in addition to prime agricultural land and such statute authorizes local governments to, subject to procedures set forth by the statute, acquire interests in real property by gift or purchase for any of the following purposes:

(1) To protect and conserve water resources and watersheds;

(2) To protect and conserve forests and land being utilized to produce timber crop;

(3) To protect an existing or planned park, forests, wildlife preserve, natural reserve or other recreation or conservation site by controlling the use of contiguous or nearby lands in order to protect the scenic, aesthetic or watershed values of the site;

(4) To protect and conserve natural or scenic resources including, but not limited to, soils, beaches, streams, floodplains or marshes;

(5) To protect scenic areas for public visual enjoyment from public rights-of-way;

(6) To preserve sites of historic, geologic, or botanic interest;

(7) To promote sound, cohesive, and efficient land development by preserving open spaces between communities;

(8) to limit the use of the real property so as to achieve open space benefits by reselling real property acquired in fee simple, subject to restrictive covenants or easements limiting the use thereof for the purposes specified in clauses (1) through (7) hereof;

(9) To protect and conserve farmland; and

WHEREAS, reduced rainfall in recent years have resulted in depleted underground water supplies and have caused greater recognition of the need to conserve natural resources as well as heightened concerns as to the amount of development sustainable by the area's water resources; and

WHEREAS, the township desires to create a separate fund within the township to be solely for purposes of educating the public concerning the need for conservation of natural resources and

agricultural land and/or for the purpose of acquiring interests in natural resource land and agricultural land including the acquisition of development rights, easements and fee simple title, all subject to the requirements set forth in 32 P.S. 55001 et seq.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Shrewsbury Township Board of Supervisors do hereby establish a fund within Shrewsbury Township to be known as the "Shrewsbury Township Conservation Fund", which fund shall be established as a separate account and may receive donations from the township and from private individuals. Monies received by such fund may be utilized solely for the purpose of educating the public concerning the need to conserve natural resources and agricultural land and, subject to compliance with the requirements set forth in 32 P.S. 55001 et seq., the acquisition of interests in real property including, but not limited to, fee simple title to development rights and easements.

 

ADOPTED this Second day of  October, 2002.

 

            SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS