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Heritage Conservancy's Chairman of the Board Joins Committee for Bond Referendum Public Education

The Honorable William Hart Rufe III, Heritage Conservancy's Chairman of the Board

Heritage Conservancy's Chairman of the Board, the Honorable William Hart Rufe III, a retired county judge, will join former commissioners Mike Fitzpatrick and Andy Warren in leading Bucks County's movement to win support and educate the public regarding the November 6th $87 million bond referendum that will extend the open space preservation program for an additional 10-year period.

The three-man bipartisan "Vote Yes Committee" will attend civic meetings and events leading up to the November election when Bucks voters will be asked to approve the referendum. The team will encourage further support of a county program that has already preserved nearly 10,000 acres of open space, including more than 100 farms.

Continuing open space preservation for another decade is estimated to cost the average taxpayer approximately $30 a year. County officials say the plan could prompt the state, local townships and nonprofits to contribute $100 million in matching funds.

Judge Rufe, a life-long resident of Bucks County who served as the vice chairman of the county's 2007 Open Space Task Force, said the $30 it will cost the average taxpayer pales in comparison to the cost to the taxpayer for additional municipal services created by development.

Heritage Conservancy's Lindsay Farm Preserve in Warwick and Northampton Townships

The task force's current recommendations are to allocate $25 million for agricultural land preservation, $11 million for natural areas preservation, $18 million for county parks and recreation, $26 million for municipal open space, and $7 million for the Delaware Riverfront. To view the report prepared by the Bucks County Open Space Task Force, visit www.buckscounty.org.

The first open space referendum in 1997 was supported by more than 70 percent of Bucks voters. That $59 million is nearly all allocated and by October officials expect to reach the county's 10,000-acre preservation goal. That program leveraged an additional $80 million in grants.

"The open space program is really a quality-of-life program," said Rufe. "Here in Bucks County, we sometimes take for granted the beautiful countryside and wonderful streams and valleys and woodlands, and we have to remember that if we're not careful, we could lose it. We lost a lot of it already."

If approved, the money would preserve farmland, county parkland, natural areas, municipal projects and - new to the program—riverfront improvements with public access points. Townships will have the flexibility to create trails, pocket parks and other green areas with municipal allocations.

The economic benefits of open space include the reduction of municipal services, increased property values, and the continuing growth of tourism in Bucks County.

"There is so much evidence that open space saves taxes because cows don't go to school. When you put homes and houses on all these farmlands, the cost of infrastructure to maintain them—roads, police, fire and schools—well, that is much more expensive to the taxpayer than what a bond issue like this will cost," said Judge Rufe.

Horse Farm Preserved in Springfield Township, Bucks County

Judge Rufe's passion for conservation has led to his taking a leadership role with numerous conservation organizations on a state, county and local level. In 1999, after his retirement as an active judge, he was appointed to the Bucks County Open Space Review Board where he still serves as a member. He also served on the Advisory Board of the Pennsylvania Wild Resources Conservation Fund from 1996 to 2004.

Judge Rufe has dedicated much of his volunteer time to conservation activities. An avid birder and former president of the Bucks County Audubon Society, Judge Rufe and his wife, Jewel, have participated annually in the Upper Bucks County and National Audubon Christmas Bird Counts for over 30 years. Judge Rufe is also an active member of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, the oldest continuously operating bird club in America, which was founded in 1890. He joined the Board of Directors of the Conservancy in 1975 and has served as its Chairman since 1976. As Chairman, the Judge led Heritage Conservancy in preserving numerous historic structures and more than 7000 acres of open space. He also spearheaded the acquisition and preservation of historic Aldie Mansion, the Conservancy's current headquarters, and oversaw the acquisition of the Conservancy's easements on Bucks County Audubon Society's Honey Hollow Visitor Center from PECO.