Landscapes2 Related References
Households throughout Chester County are now receiving their 2010 Census forms in the mail. There are only 10 questions that take about 10 minutes to complete. The form should be returned by April 1st. Beginning in mid-April, Census enumerators will visit non-responding households in person. Returning the form by mail is a lot less expensive (42 cents by mail versus $57 in person) and will ensure a more accurate count. After March 22, the Census Bureau will be providing updated response rates on the Census interactive Take10 map. View this map to see how the county and your local area are responding compared to other nearby areas. Help make your area the best in Chester County. A complete count of all Chester County residents is important for political representation, federal funding for local needs, encouraging businesses to create local jobs, and planning for future facilities and services to meet Chester County’s growing needs.
Counting for Dollars: The Role of the Decennial Census in the Geographic Distribution of Federal Funds. The accuracy of the 2010 Census will determine the geographic distribution of a substantial proportion of federal assistance, particularly in the form of grants, over the coming decade.
Census of Agriculture - 2007. The Planning Commission has issued a Data Sheet providing data for Chester County from the U. S. Census of Agriculture. The data include farms, land, production values, and farmer characteristics.
WCASD receives EPA grant for energy-saving program. Students will perform energy audits; it is the only school district in the country to get Climate Showcase Communities funds.
Students to help West Chester businesses save energy, money and cut pollution. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $149,992 grant to the West Chester Area School District for a project to help local businesses conserve energy, save money and cut harmful greenhouse gases. The district already has an energy efficiency program, started and implemented by students, in operation in its 16 school buildings. The district spends $3M a year for electricity. Last year, B. Reed Henderson High School, where today’s ceremony was held, used $300,000 of electricity. The “Power Down Fridays” program the school has reduced its energy use by 22% – saving the taxpayers $60,000 annually.
DVRPC recently published two major corridor plans for segments of US 422 and US 322 in Chester County. The final reports contain recommendations for municipalities and other stakeholders to plan for growth and implement improvements to the transportation system. These reports are the culmination public planning processes that were facilitated by DVRPC in conjunction with the CCPC. Please visit the final reports online US 422 Corridor Master Plan and Guiding Transportation Investments and Land Use Decisions Along US 322 - Chester County.
Shifting Gears Regional Bicycle outreach and priority setting. Please take this survey and help define bicycling priorities and goals in the greater Philadelphia Region.
Earth Day and other planning related events
Ag Forum – A Look at Agriculture During the Dust Bowl. Sponsored By: Chester County Agricultural Development Council/ Chester County Economic Development Council/ Chester County Historical Society. Location: Chester County Historical Society March 24th 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. To register, call 610-692-4800 or email hdyer@chestercohistorical.org.
Three Groves Ecovillage Open House March 27, 2010 at the Dansko facility in southern Chester County will be an open house to discuss the Three Groves Ecovillage that is currently in the planning phase.
PennDOT Encourages Groups, Individuals to Help Beautify Pennsylvania. The Pick It Up PA Days, timed to coincide with Earth Day on April 22, are a featured event of the Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania, a statewide effort to remove litter and trash from the state's roadways, parks, riverbanks and open spaces. The entire effort runs through May 31.
Earth Day 40 Challenge, an initiative shared among state departments of Education, Environmental Protection, and Conservation and Natural Resources.
5th Annual Earth Day Event Charlestown Township. Charlestown Township Seeks Volunteers for Spring Roadside Clean-up April 17, 2010. Volunteers will start from the Township office fortified with a continental breakfast before going out onto the roads. Call or email Linda Csete if you’d like to participate or for more information: (610) 240-0326 or admin1@charlestown.pa.us.
5th Annual Chester Creek Earth Day Cleanup, April 17, 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Gloves, bagels and Starbucks coffee will be provided. Team leaders receive a free cleanup T-shirt. After the cleanup, attend Henderson High School Environmental Club for their inaugural Earth Day Fair from 10 am to 4 pm, which will include the unveiling of Henderson's 2KW Solar Panel Installation.
17th Annual Brandywine River Cleanup, April 17, 9 am to 1 pm. The Young Friends of the Brandywine Conservancy invite volunteers to help us celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day by cleaning up the banks of the Brandywine River. Lunch will be served at the Environmental Management Center immediately following the clean up. For more information or to register, please contact the Young Friends at 610-388- 8315 or email to ksmith@brandywine.org.
Earth Day Events in Chester County
DCNR Earth Day Calendar of Events
The Joan & Dick Stroud Memorial Lecture Series Presents Wade Davis. The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World April 15, 2010 6:00 PM. Please RSVP by April 9th, email Kay Dixon kdixon@stroudcenter.org or call 610 268 2153 x 247.
Chester County Envirothon 2010 Protection of Groundwater through Urban, Agricultural and Environmental Planning. May 4, 5 and 6.