BACKGROUND

From the forested hills of the Pennsylvania Highlandsto the scenic Susquehanna River gorge,to the rich productive agricultural lands of the Piedmont, Lancaster County is blessed with an abundance of natural resources that have nurtured its inhabitants for centuries and attracted new residents and tourists wanting to experience its exceptional quality of life.

Lancaster County’s natural resources are matched by significant historic and cultural resources that date back thousands of years to Native American tribes, such as the Susquehannock,whoestablished their cultures along the county’s rivers and streams. The migration of German and Swiss immigrants seeking religious freedom in “Penn’s Woods” during the 18th and 19th centuries, provided the foundation for the county’s agrarian heritage. Other European settlers used their industrious spirit to build mills and ironworks and establish towns and villages to provide services to the growing community and African Americans created settlements of free men and women during the Civil War. Throughout Lancaster County’s history, its priceless resources– whether naturally created or man-made – have contributed to its unique identity and sense of place.

Because of its desirable lifestyle and location, Lancaster County has been one of the fastest growing counties in Pennsylvania for decades. Since 1970, the county’s population has increased by 210,000 people and the Lancaster County Planning Commission projects the double digit increases to continue indefinitely. While Lancaster County’s centuries of population growth – and the infrastructure to support it -- have taken its toll, the County has made substantial investments to protectits heritage, cultural significance, and valuable natural resources.

As new challenges arise, threatening Lancaster County’s resources as well as the progress made towards protecting them, it is necessary that the community come together to ensure those challenges are met with creative, locally-driven priorities and solutions. It is with that in mind that this proposal is submitted.

NATURAL, HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

Natural areas

Need info

Farmland

Lancaster County is home to the most productive, non-irrigated soils in the United States. These soils, consisting mostly of Hagerstown or Frederick loam, comprise the largest connected body of limestone soils in the state. The community has made the preservation of this valuable natural resource a priority for more than 35 years, establishing the first farmland preservation program in the state and later becoming the first county to participate in the state-sponsored agricultural preservation program. In 1988, the same leaders who established the government-sponsored farmland preservation program, founded Lancaster Farmland Trust, to work with the county’s sizeable Plain Sect community who prefer not to work with a government agency.

Approximately $250 million in federal, state, county and private funds has been invested in permanently protecting the county’s prime farmland since the two preservation programs were started. This investment has resulted in the preservation of 102,000 acres of farmland – the most farmland preserved in any county in the country – on more than 1,300 farms.

Historic and Cultural Treasures

Need info

THE PROJECT

Transco / Williams proposes to construct a 42 inch high-pressure natural gas pipeline through Pennsylvania to create a shortcut between the existing Transco Leidy Line in Columbia County and the Transcontinental Gas Pipeline in Lancaster County. The 178 mile long route includes 35 miles in Lancaster County crossing a variety of environmentally sensitive and important landscapes.

Because the project is a “greenfield” project and does not utilize existing rights-of-way, it is necessary to create a new right-of-way. The right-of-way required for construction would be approximately 150 feet with a permanent right-of-way of 50 feet. The project requires a federal certificate of “public convenience and necessity” from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission because it is an interstate line.The Atlantic Sunrise project represents the largest expansion project ever undertaken by Transco. Transco expects the project to go “on-line” by 2017.

PROPOSAL

Transco and the Conservation Fund have joined together to develop the Atlantic Sunrise Environmental Stewardship Program with the goal of identifying stewardship needs within the project area “based upon the policies and priorities of the potentially impacted communities and other stakeholders”(Atlantic Sunrise Project Environmental Stewardship (ES) Program Information Sheet).

Numerous organizations, with a long and successful history of protecting and preserving Lancaster County’s natural, historic, and cultural resources, have been asked to participate in a focus group meeting that will inform the assessment being conducted by the Conservation Fund and lead to a determination of how funding will be distributed as part of the Atlantic Sunrise Project Environmental Stewardship Program.The participating organizations – ranging from small, all-volunteer watershed associations to nationally recognized conservation programs – have been asked to submit suggestions for projects that will “maximize the enhancement, protection and management of natural resources” (ibid, Information Sheet).

The followingorganizations have come together to offer an

alternative that will achieve the objectives of the Conservation Fund and Transco

and provide long-term protection of resources and sustainable results.

Brandywine Conservancy

Lancaster County Conservancy

Lancaster Farmland Trust

Lancaster County Conservation District

Lancaster County Department of Parks and Recreation

Lancaster County Planning Commission

Lancaster County Agricultural Preserve Board

Little Conestoga Watershed Association

Pequea Creek Watershed Association

S.A.V.E

Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area

Tri-county Conewago Creek Watershed Association

Collectively these organizations have more than 250 years of experience preserving and protecting Lancaster County’s natural, historic and cultural resources and represent thousands of members, donors, volunteers, elected officials and citizens concerned about the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project and the future of Lancaster County.

WHAT

This coalition of organizations proposes the establishment of the “Lancaster County Environmental Trust Fund” which would be locally governed and locally administered and would provide funding to local organizations to conduct current and future resource protection and enhancement activities based on the “policies and priorities of the potentially impacted communities and other stakeholders”.The coalition believes that Lancaster County has well-established policies and priorities to protect and preserve Lancaster County’s natural, historic and cultural resources and that there is no need to “reinvent the wheel” to accomplish the objectives of Transco and the Conservation Fund.

WHY

The stated intent of the Atlantic Sunrise Environmental Stewardship Fund is to identify stewardship projects based on the “policies and priorities of the potentially impacted communities and other stakeholders”.

Lancaster County has long been a leader in land use planning and resource protection. The County, municipalities, and conservation organizations have worked for decades to protect what is unique and special about the County. The County Comprehensive Plan “Envision Lancaster County”, including its growth-management plan and the functional and policy elements,carefully maps strategies to protect natural, historic and cultural resources. These plans, and the goals and objectives contained therein, have been developed to address specific challenges to Lancaster County’s resources and to reflect the concerns of the county’s citizens.

While the coalition respects the reputation of the Conservation Fund and recognizes its outstanding achievements, it is united in its support for creating a locally governed and administered trust fund and believes that the creation of such a fund would be the best way to address the concerns and needs of the community and would “reflect the policies and priorities of the potentially impacted communities and stakeholders”.

By creating the Lancaster County Environmental Trust Fund, Transco and the Conservation Fund would help ensure community acceptance and success. Rather than simply addressing immediate concerns, the fund could be structured to address both immediate and long-term concerns. The establishment of the Lancaster County Environmental Trust Fund would help to demonstrate Williams’ commitment to honoring the unique quality of life in Lancaster County while addressing potential environmental issues.

Outcomes

  • Identify conservation and preservation projects that reflect the policies and priorities of the communities and stakeholders impacted by the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline as well as the objectives of the Conservation Fund and Transco.
  • Establish the Lancaster County Environmental Trust Fund to provide funding for immediate and future projects.
  • Help build acceptance and understanding in the community through local control and governance of the Trust fund.
  • Implement conservation and preservation projects that reflect the policies and priorities of communities and stakeholders impacted by the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline.
  • Maximize short-term and long-term impact by funding immediate and future projects.
  • Address immediate impacts of pipeline project on natural, historic and cultural resources.
  • Provide sustainable funding for future projects to address issues that arise after completion of the pipeline project.

Request

The organizations listed above unanimously endorse the creation of the “Lancaster County Environmental Trust Fund” to be locally governed and managed and respectfully request that Transco provide $25 million for the creation of the fund.