Elen Snyder Appointed to Newtown Environmental Advisory Council

At its September 25, 2019, public meeting, the Newtown Board of Supervisors (BOS) approved environmental activist Elen Snyder to fill a vacancy in the township’s Environmental Advisory Council (EAC). Voting in favor were Supervisors John Mack, Dennis Fisher, Phil Calabro, and Linda Bobrin. Supervisor Kyle Davis was absent.

In her application letter, Ms. Snyder cited her family recycling business in Falls Township, her interest in the future of plastics recycling, and the “Tree Tender” title awarded to her by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

“It’s very exciting to be approved as an official member of the EAC,” said Elen when she learned of the BOS decision. “My passion is first and foremost the environment and specifically climate change and those things that we can do here in our township that will help our children inherit a planet that is cleaner with a focus on getting rid of single use plastics. Also, eliminating pesticides that poison our watershed.”

Readers of the Patch may recall that Ms. Snyder was instrumental in convincing Newtown Township to modify its plan for converting the well-used open space of Roberts Ridge Park into a “meadow” as part of its pollution reduction plan. The new plan preserves the central open space that is the hallmark of the park (read more details about the revised meadow plan here).

Elen, however, decided that more needed to be done, so she founded the Friends of Roberts Ridge Park to come up with a better plan that involves raising private money by donations from neighbors and friends to purchase native trees to plant in the park (read “Newtown Township Approves Residents’ Plan to Plant Native Trees”). Trees are much better than grassy meadows for preventing unfiltered storm water runoff into streams and lakes. Elen’s plan was approved by the BOS at its September 11, 2019, public meeting.

The EAC will have a lot on its agenda in future months as the township begins the process of updating the Newtown Area Joint Comprehensive Plan (read “It’s Time for Newtown Township to Update Its Comprehensive Plan!”). The Plan will determine how much land will be preserved as open space, how our water and air will be protected from pollution, and address other environmental issues.

The EAC will also be developing an updated list of native plant species for the township’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance, which protects against unwise, poorly planned development and its negative impact on the environment. This is a necessary adjunct to the Native Plant Resolution approved by the BOS in August, 2019. By that resolution, Newtown Township is committed to make every reasonable effort to use native plants on properties owned by the Township and authorizes the EAC to educate and empower residents with the goal of transitioning private properties to include native plants.