State Rep. Napoleon Nelson presented the Springfield Township Board of Commissioners with a $300,000 check at the municipality's February meeting to facilitate the purchase of 2.76 acres of open space on Hawes Lane in Erdenheim.

The funds, part of a grant awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Community Conservation Partnerships Program, will be combined with a $200,000 grant that Montgomery County's Montco 2040 Implementation Grant Program also awarded for the project.

The purchase is part of the newly adopted open space preservation plan and also a product of the push from residents to preserve the Harston Woods. The goal is to open this area up to residents as a woodsy recreational area. 

Fire department acknowledgment 

The board recognized the dedicated work and daily service of the Flourtown, Oreland and Wyndmoor volunteer fire departments, police officers and emergency personnel.

In the early morning hours on Jan. 22, police and fire personnel responded to a call about a medical emergency. Once the report was changed to a house fire, departments were on the scene in minutes working in extreme weather to mitigate the damage to the dwelling in the 8700 block of Duveen Drive. Tragically, an 87-year-old woman and her dog died in the fire. 

The board also reminded residents to install a smoke detector on every level of a residence and to test the detector at least once a year. Additionally, residents should routinely practice a plan of action in the event of a fire and to practice that plan regularly. For more safety tips, residents were advised to reach out to the Springfield Township Fire Marshal at 215-836-7600. 

Recycling report 

Springfield Township residents recycled 208.7 tons of material with a household participation rate of 73% during January. The Board of Commissioners informed residents that leaf waste collection started Feb. 12 and will run through mid-December. Organic waste includes leaves, garden residue, shrubbery, tree trimmings and similar material. Trash, bamboo, landscaping timber, and grass cuttings are not included in this pickup service.  Residents also were advised to place appropriate material in paper bags to be set out on normal collection days. 

Resolution 1631 

The Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution that endorsed the creation of a municipal consortium to assist with the implementation of the Wissahickon Creek Quality Water Improvement Plan. 

Since 2016, an informal group has been working to develop a plan separate from the phosphorus-based solution proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to solve the various issues with the creek. This resolution establishes a group made up of a delegate and an alternate from surrounding municipalities that will work to formalize the collaboration between municipalities and water treatment plants to improve the Wissahickon Creek. 

The full plan can be found on the Wissahickon Trails website. 

No Mow May

Martin Ryan, vice president of the Environmental Advisory Commission, delivered a report on the recently adopted ‘No Mow May’ initiative sponsored by the township. 

The program aims to pause lawn mowing during May to allow for flowers to bloom and to assist early pollinators. 

Twenty-five households participated in this program in its first year and Ryan noted that no phone calls were made to the township regarding unmowed lawns. In a survey of the participants, all of the 15 families who responded said they would recommend the program to a neighbor and participate again; about 66% received positive feedback while 26% said they received mostly comments about preferring a cleaner-cut lawn. 

Ryan suggested expanding the number of lawns permitted to take part in this program, expanding the use of social media and including township parks in the program. 

For residents interested in participating in environmental programming, there is a vacancy on the Environmental Advisory Commission. The commission advises and promotes education about issues relating to the management, use and protection of the local environment. The commission meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. 

Interested residents are encouraged to send a letter of interest or resume to Mike Taylor, Township Manager at 1510 Papermill Road, Wyndmoor PA or email mtaylor@montco.org.