Chester County commissioners have announced the achievement of a significant milestone for the county. More than 30% of Chester County has now been preserved as open space. According to the analysis of the Chester County Planning Commission's (CCPC) Protected Open Space Tracking (POST) system, as of Dec. 31, 2021, Chester County had reached 147,000 acres of preserved land.

To commemorate and celebrate the milestone and to share information on the county's focus for open space preservation in the future, the commissioners will partner with staff from CCPC and the Department of Parks and Preservation to host the 2022 Open Space Summit on Tuesday, May 10.

The 2022 Open Space Summit theme, "Farms for the Future," will highlight Chester County's preserved agricultural land and the role it plays in the county's economy, quality of life, and sense of place. The event will be held at Springton Manor, 860 Springton Road, Glenmoore, from 4 to 7 p.m. Formal presentations will begin at 5 p.m., and tours of Springton Manor Farm and its agricultural operations will begin at 6 p.m.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding will provide the keynote address at the 2022 Open Space Summit. Other topics include regenerative agriculture and a summary of the county's open space preservation efforts in 2021.

In addition to the summit, tours of preserved farms will be offered across the county on the first three Saturdays in May. These tours will showcase the variety of preserved farms and farm products in Chester County and give residents a unique opportunity to visit agricultural lands and learn about the value of agricultural preservation. These tours will be open to the public, but registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

The summit is open to all, and the presentations will be livestreamed for individuals unable to attend in person. To learn more and register for the summit or farm tours, visit https://bit.ly/ccopenspacesummit.