Willistown Township & Willistown Conservation Trust
Celebrating Decades of Community Conservation Partnership
Last month, Willistown Township Supervisors, Open Space Review Board, and Parks & Recreation Board members attended an event hosted by the Willistown Conservation Trust celebrating the 15th anniversary of the private/public partnership that resulted in the protection of Kirkwood Preserve. The 83-acre preserve boasts rolling hills and grassland, mature woodland, wetlands, a half-mile stretch of Crum Creek, and trails for pedestrians and equestrians.
The Township/Trust collaboration began in 1999 with the Open Space Referendum which residents passed with 80% of the vote. As a result, today the Township owns over 235 acres of publicly accessible green space. The public can visit an additional 169-acres, including Kirkwood, that are owned by local non-profits through partnerships leveraging the Open Space Fund to county, state, and federal funding. The Trust and the Township joined forces on the acquisition and protection of 293 of the 404 total acres protected. This success could not have been achieved without private/public conservation partnerships including funding from the Willistown Township Open Space Fund, Chester County Municipal and Land Trust Grant Programs, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Preservation Partnership Program, and the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. And we’re not done yet!