Milford - Pike County, Pennsylvania faces some of the most significant land development pressures in the Northeastern United States. The following demographics and statistics starkly illustrate the ongoing growth trends impacting the County: 

• For 35+ years, Pike has remained the fastest growing county in Pennsylvania.
• Pike was the sole county in Pennsylvania and the Northeast Region to make the U.S. Census Bureau’s list of the 100 fastest-growing counties in the nation for both 2005 and 2006.
• Projections indicate this trend, along with associated residential and commercial development, will continue with a predicted growth rate of 80% from 2000 to 2020.
• The recently completed Pike County Comprehensive Plan Update predicts a potential total county population in excess of 150,000 by 2030.

Along with this rapid growth come challenges for our municipalities and our schools. Providing services such as road improvements, new schools, and other facilities and services, while at the same time trying to hold the line on tax increases, has become a constant concern for our communities. 

Some of the costs of development, particularly in areas of rapid change such as Pike County, are borne by the community rather than the developer. Residential development requires more services than is covered by tax revenues. The public school systems are directly affected by the location, amount, type and timing of development.   It is likely that school taxes will increase to accommodate new residential development.

On Thursday October 11th at the PPL Environmental Learning Center at 7:00 pm there will be a program entitled “Opportunity Knocks: Natural Areas as a Community Investment.”  Michael Frank, Director of Community Planning for the Heritage Conservancy, will discuss the financial implications of residential development versus open space conservation. Open space, forestland, community character, quality of life, taxes and development are all intertwined.  The costs of residential development vs. open space will be discussed on a local level along with ways to protect natural areas by purchasing lands or development rights.  It is important to understand that the purchase of land or development rights will not stop development or the rising cost of education, but it will blunt the economic impacts of rapid development and retain valued community assets.  A dollar spent to purchase land or development rights avoids greater and repeated costs of municipal and school district services.   Balancing growth and forestland conservation will set the stage for what our communities will look like in the future. 

This program is co-sponsored by Pike County Conservation District, Pike County Office of Community Planning, The Delaware Highlands Conservancy, Pike Conservation Partnership and the PA Department of Conservation of Natural Resources and is open to the public free of charge.  Interested residents and local officials are encouraged to attend.  Registration is suggested so that handouts can be prepared. Registration, questions and/or more information on the meeting can be directed to Michele Ulmer, Pike County Conservation District, Education Coordinator at 570-226-8220. For more information on these topics please go to www.heritageconservancy.org/news/publications/pdf/opportunity.pdf.