Keeping Pike green

To the Editor: On Nov. 8, Pike County voters approved the Scenic Rural Character Preservation Bond referendum with a resounding 68.2% in favor of this important initiative, authorizing our Commissioners to activate up to $10 million to support innovative planning tools and to permanently protect our critical natural resources as Pike experiences intense population growth and an increase in large-scale development projects. In December, the Pike Commissioners announced a call for resumes from citizens interested in serving on the Scenic Rural Character Preservation (SRCP) Advisory Board, the group which will make recommendations to the Commissioners on use of SRCP Bond funds. The Commissioners may appoint this Advisory Board as early as January 2006. The Alliance to Keep Pike Green encourages Pike County residents to become active in implementation of the SRCP Bond. A great way to do so is to serve on its Advisory Board. For further details on letters of interest and resume submissions, call the Commissioners office at 570-296-7613 or email: Chair Harry Forbes: hforbes@pikepa.org Richard Caridi: rcaridi@pikepa.org Karl Wagner: kwagner@pikepa.org There are additional opportunities to be active in the initiative to protect Pike County’s land, water and way of life for future generations. Attend your township or borough supervisors’ meetings (a schedule can be viewed at www.pikepa.org/townships.htm), attend meetings of the Pike County Commissioners (a schedule can be viewed at www.pikepa.org/meetingschedule.htm), or volunteer your time with the Delaware Highlands Conservancy (visit www.delawarehighlands.org to learn more). Our scenic ridges, forests, lakes, streams, and wildlife are integral to our rural way of life and heritage. But they won’t remain forever unless we act now to protect them. The Alliance to Keep Pike Green: a project of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy PO Box 218 Hawley, PA 18428, 570-226-3164, www.keeppikegreen.org Peter Pinchot for The Alliance to Keep Pike Green