At at present’s public assembly, Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell, and Michelle Kichline authorized a grant of $4.2 million awarded to Westtown Township for the preservation of Crebilly Farm.
The newest funding is added to a $2.15 million Preservation Partnership Grant that the Commissioners awarded to regional conservation non-profit Pure Lands on the February 8 public assembly, bringing a complete County contribution for saving Crebilly Farm to $6.35 million.
“Serving to to protect Chester County land for future generations is likely one of the most essential actions we will take as County leaders,” mentioned Chester County Commissioners’ Chair Marian Moskowitz. “The Chester County Division of Parks + Preservation has labored diligently with Pure Lands and Westtown Township to make sure that the County performs a big position in saving Crebilly Farm.
“Our Open Area program, authorized overwhelmingly by voters greater than 30 years in the past, not solely permits us to protect precious acres, it additionally contributes to Chester County’s financial success,” added Commissioner Moskowitz.
Positioned in Westtown Township, Crebilly Farm is likely one of the largest remaining unprotected properties in Chester County.
County Commissioner Josh Maxwell mentioned, “Crebilly Farm is a gemstone of hills and woods that deserves to stay because it was when the Battle of the Brandywine occurred there in 1777 in the course of the American Revolution. Its historic and environmental price can’t be overstated.
“The great thing about preserving this land can be evident within the super public need to maintain it from growth, and we’re happy to have the ability to contribute to that,” added Commissioner Maxwell.
The conservation plan for Crebilly Farm combines publicly accessible open house and privately owned preserved land. Crebilly’s house owners’ first settlement of sale for 208 acres is to Westtown Township, which can enable the township to develop a passive-use park.
“Westtown Township is awfully grateful to the County Commissioners for his or her beneficiant monetary assist to protect Crebilly Farm,” mentioned Township Supervisor Jon Altshul. “This grant award aligns completely with the outcomes of the latest voter referendum in Westtown, through which 68 % of Westtown voters supported the imposition of latest taxes to guard open house. This acquisition is due to this fact actually a workforce effort involving Township, County, state, and federal sources, and we’re proud that each one ranges of presidency are coming collectively to make this essential mission a actuality.”
A second settlement of sale between Crebilly Farm’s house owners and Pure Lands permits the land conservation non-profit to buy as much as 4 conservation easements on roughly 104 acres of the property. These 100-plus acres, which comprise a lot of the property’s buildings and residences, will stay available on the market to be bought by personal patrons, with the brand new house owners being topic to the phrases of the conservation easements.
The 2 grants from Chester County will assist the acquisition of each the 208-acre parcel and conservation easements on the remaining 104-acres.
County Commissioner Michelle Kichline mentioned, “A key focus of Chester County’s Parks + Preservation division is to protect land all through the county by partnering with conservancies, townships, the state, and even personal landowners. Over its 30-plus-year historical past, our open house program has leveraged a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars} by way of these partnerships. Crebilly Farm is an ideal instance of this, and we thank the Robinson household, Westtown Township, and Pure Lands for on a regular basis and energy that has gone into saving Crebilly.”
“Crebilly Farm is a conservation precedence within the county and area for a number of ecological and historic causes,” mentioned Oliver Bass, president of Pure Lands. “What’s most putting, although, is how deeply folks care about it. The panorama is actually iconic, and we’re exceedingly grateful to the Commissioners for making this main funding in Crebilly’s preservation.”
Chester County’s contribution of $6.35 million for Crebilly Farm is added to the $6 million already dedicated by the PA Division of Conservation and Pure Assets (DCNR) and the $7.5 million to be supplied by way of Westtown Township’s open house bond.
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