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Pennsylvania Land Trust Association to Honor Judge Rufe at Annual Convention
Conservancy's Chairman of the Board to be Recognized for Lifelong Dedication to Land Preservation
Honorable William Hart Rufe III, Heritage Conservancy's Chairman of the Board
Heritage Conservancy is pleased to announce the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PALTA) is honoring the Conservancy's Chairman of the Board, the Honorable William Hart Rufe III, with its 2008 Lifetime Leadership Award. The award will be presented to Judge Rufe at the 6th Annual Land Conservation Conference at the Desmond Hotel in Chester County on Saturday, April 5th at 9:00 a.m.
Each year, PALTA honors an individual who has demonstrated decades of leadership and dedication in conserving our special places and landscapes. Judge Rufe's vision, hard work, lasting resolve and inspiring dedication to land conservation epitomizes precisely what this award represents.
A lifelong lover of nature, Judge Rufe has committed his adult life to volunteer activism in protecting the land and environment at a community, county, and state level. Steadfast dedication, unquestioned sincerity, interminable energy and insightful leadership characterize his efforts on behalf of preserving the historic and natural heritage of the greater Delaware region.
For thirty-four years, Judge Rufe has served in a leadership role for Heritage Conservancy, guiding the Conservancy's growth into a strong and highly regarded, regional land trust. He joined the Board of Heritage Conservancy (then the Bucks County Conservancy) in 1974 and was immediately elected Vice President, and in 1975 became President (now Chairman of the Board). In 1974 the Conservancy had no employees, no office, and only a $1,200 annual budget. Judge Rufe's impact has been monumental. He has been intimately involved in every major decision concerning the Conservancy and remains the one individual who gave a fledgling conservation organization its initial credibility and leadership to evolve into a recognized leader in land conservation and historic preservation.
Since 1976, Judge Rufe has been an active member of the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club (DVOC), which is the oldest continuously operating bird organization in North America, dating to 1890. He has served on DVOC's Council, been Secretary, Vice President (Program Chairman) and President, and Chairman of the Nominating Committee. Judge Rufe currently serves as one of the three Trustees for the Club. The Trustees have the responsibility for investing and managing the organization's funds.
Judge Rufe previously served as President of Bucks County Audubon Society (BCAS) and Honey Hollow Watershed Association (HHWA) where the Society is located. The Honey Hollow Watershed is a National Historic Landmark comprised of five farms on 650 acres. Honey Hollow Watershed is the first small upland watershed in continuing agricultural use with multiple private owners, to demonstrate that cooperative local action, supported by Federal technical assistance, is a practical method of achieving national goals in soil, water and wildlife conservation, and flood prevention. As such, it has served as a prototype for thousands of similar small watersheds throughout the nation. During his period of service, Judge Rufe led long-distance field trips for the BCAS, which were a major source of income for the Society.
While Judge Rufe's environmental activism has focused primarily on the local and county levels, he has played an important role on the state level as well. Judge Rufe served on Pennsylvania's Wild Resources Conservation Fund (WRCF) Advisory Committee for a period of 10 years, the first year as Vice Chairman, and the remaining time as Chairman. This state-wide committee has the responsibility for allocating funds to wildlife conservation efforts from the sale of the WRCF license plates in Pennsylvania. This Fund is now supplemented by funds from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. In the Chairman's role Judge Rufe conducted all meetings and met directly with the Pennsylvania State legislators to present committee recommendations.
For the past nine years, Judge Rufe has served on the Bucks County Open Space Board, which reviews applications for funding from the 1997 Bucks County ten-year $59MM Open Space Bond. The impact of this work and critical decisions have resulted in over 15,000 acres permanently preserved in Bucks County since 1997.
In 2007, Judge Rufe became the Co-Chairman of the proposed 2007 renewed ten-year $87MM Bucks County Open Space Bond Issue, and was instrumental in the development of the final report upon which the 2007 Bond Issue was based. The report recommended an expansion of areas to be funded through the 2007 Bond Issue to include Historic Preservation, Delaware Riverfront, Public Access Open Space, Parks and Recreation, Education and Technical Assistance, and Stewardship of preserved properties, thus providing opportunities for those municipalities where little open space remains.
Subsequent to this process, Judge Rufe was appointed by the County Commissioners as Co-Chairman of the "Save Bucks County" Committee to promote the 2007 Bond Issue. In addition to appearances all over the county, Judge Rufe also authored the "Frequently Asked Questions" portion of the web site, which was widely circulated in print and helped to persuade The Bucks County Courier to endorse the referendum ballot question. The question passed by a better than 75% to 25% vote. Significantly, every municipality, and even every voting precinct in Bucks County, voted "Yes" in support of the question.
Clifford C. David Jr., President of Heritage Conservancy, and Jackie Kramer, PALTA President, will co-present the award to Judge Rufe. "Hart is truly an advocate for land preservation," David stated, "and we have all benefited from his dedication and hard work."
On behalf of Heritage Conservancy, the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association and the land trust community, we thank Judge Rufe for his remarkable life of service to the environment and for being an exemplary contributor to land preservation efforts in Pennsylvania. For more information about PALTA and the 2008 Lifetime Leadership Award, please visit www.conserveland.org.
