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The
Westmoreland County Board of
Commissioners, Tom Balya,
Tom Ceraso and Phil Light,
on December 6 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 regions
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
states 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.
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