Chester Co. Preserved Some 1200 Acres Of Open Space In 2024

WEST CHESTER, PA — Chester County permanently protected more than 1,200 acres of land in 2024, officials said in a review of their open space programming last year.

The county runs two preservation initiatives, Open Lands and Agricultural Preservation, which target farmers at risk of losing their land, vital ecological land, and areas of public interest for recreation.

The investment comes as the county continues to see significant increases in development of new properties in many of its municipalities.

"As the fastest growing county in Pennsylvania, it is crucial to balance land preservation with land development, ensuring the growth takes place in and around our urban areas, so that we can continue to connect parcels of protected open space," Chester County Commissioner Josh Maxwell.

Significant pieces of land saved in 2024 included the 204-acre Crebilly Preserve in Westtown Township, the 156-acre Embreeville swath in West Bradford Township, and the 89-acre Kestrel Hill Preserve, which will be managed by the Willistown Conservation Trust.

All told, preserved land covers roughly 31 percent of all of Chester County. Some 65,000 acres of farmland, open space, nature preserves, and parks have been saved since the program's launch.