Plenary Session Abstract

Civic Engagement for Environmental Protection, A Panel Discussion

Panelists:

Crystal Gilchrist

Vice Chair

Lower Frederick Township Planning Commission

Helen Eckel-Wiener

Chair, Caln Township Board of Parks and Recreation

Fundraising Committee Chair and Board of Directors, Old Caln Historical Society

Secretary, Board of Directors, Pennsylvania State Police Camp Cadet

Susan Myerov

Vice Chair

Abington Township Environmental Advisory Council

Edie Shean-Hammond

Chair

North Coventry Open Space Review Board

Moderator:

Katherine Evers

Engagement and Schuylkill Action Network Coordinator

Partnership for the Delaware Estuary

Abstract:  There are many paths to follow for those interested in doing more to protect and restore their local streams. One important but often overlooked path is to become engaged in this work in your community is by volunteering to serve on a municipal advisory board or commission. These boards and commissions afford community members with the opportunity to provide their local elected officials with advice and guidance that can have an impact on development projects and decision making about land use. Too often, seats on these boards and commissions are vacant because no one steps forward to serve. In order to encourage more civic engagement for environmental protection, this panel discussion will look at four different types of local boards and commission and the roles they plan in providing advice and guidance to elected officials. The local boards and commission represented in this panel discussion include environmental advisory councils, parks and recreation boards, open space review boards, and planning commissions. The panelists will discuss how they came to serve on these boards and commissions, what it is like to service in these roles, and review the accomplishments they have helped achieve. This panel discussion will also include questions that have been crowd sourced in advance from the Watershed Congress audience.