On Thursday, March 13, East Bradford Township in Chester County, PA was the first recipient of the Growing Greener Communities Award, granted by Natural Lands Trust in partnership with the Chester County Association of Township Officials (CCATO).

The annual award recognizes a Chester County township that participates in a vigorous initiative to save land, take care of natural resources and better connect people to nature. Natural Lands Trust is a land conservation organization dedicated to protecting the fields, forests, streams and wetlands of eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. CCATO was founded in 1907, they promote excellence in local government by advocating, educating and facilitating communication for the betterment and quality of life of the citizens of Chester County.

Officials from the two groups praised East Bradford for its 30-year-old Open Space Initiative, designed to protect natural areas and connect them through a trail network. East Bradford has 6,000 acres of permanently protected land, 16 parks and 26 miles of trails. The township also uses regulatory tools such as the Growing Greener: Conservation by Design zoning ordinances, which help preserve land during the development process.

“One of my main initiatives is protecting and conserving the open space in East Bradford,” says East Bradford Township Board of Supervisors Chairman and Lamb McErlane Partner Vincent M. Pompo. “It is an honor for the township to receive this award and recognition.”

Vince spearheaded the acclaimed open space program in East Bradford Township, serving as the first chairman of the Open Space Review Board, and continues to counsel municipalities and conservation organizations on open space acquisitions. Vincent M. Pompo is partner and chairman of the Lamb McErlane’s municipal law department and the environmental law practice group and member of Lamb McErlane’s Executive Committee.

At Lamb McErlane, Pompo’s practice areas include municipal, land use and environmental law. He is also a frequent speaker on municipal and environmental issues. Pompo has served as a member of the East Bradford Board of Supervisors since 2003 and now serves as Chairman. He also serves as township solicitor for several Chester County municipalities including East Fallowfield, Franklin, New Garden, Sadsbury, West Whiteland and Willistown, as well as several regional recreational, sewer and solid waste municipal authorities.

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