Lower Merion Conservancy

Open Space Preservation

The Lower Merion Conservancy engages in several programs to preserve Lower Merion’s landscape.

The Board of Directors established a Land Conservation Committee, which meets on a monthly basis. The Committee examines land development applications and reviews subdivision and land use plans, and creates the Conservancy’s official position on these developments and plans. Conservancy staff and Board then testify before the Planning Commission, the Zoning Hearing Board, and the Board of Commissioners on the impact of these plans on community character, open space, historic and natural resources, etc.

The Conservancy then advocates for private preservation of the local landscape. Land owners work with the Conservancy’s staff and Board to craft conservation-oriented plans that preserve a family’s land holdings, and consult with land owners interested in donating property to non-profits like the Conservancy. The Conservancy also considers accepting conservation easements and transfers of development rights, important tools that landowners can wield to save open space, lower their tax burden, and retain the property in the family.

In addition, the Conservancy’s quarterly journal always highlights recent development decisions and controversies in Lower Merion and Narberth, and frequently publishes special reports on land use concerns. We also invite our members to join us at workshops, lectures and town meetings that highlight landscape preservation techniques.

For information about conservation easements, land donations, and/or land use procedures in Lower Merion, write, call or e-mail the Conservancy at your earliest convenience.

Updated: 9/22/2006 © 2010Lower Merion Conservancy. All rights reserved.

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