Nearly 22 acres of forested land in Lower Frederick and Limerick Townships are preserved forever thanks to the efforts of longtime conservation advocate Phil Smith. The Smith property, now protected with a conservation easement held by Natural Lands, can be viewed from both Gerloff and South Ryanford roads and contributes to the scenic, wooded beauty of the area. The land is directly adjacent to 38 acres of open space owned by Limerick Township, which itself is connected to 486 acres of State Game Lands, 52 acres of open space owned by Lower Frederick Township, and Natural Lands’ 101-acre Meng Preserve.
Collectively, this region is known as the Stone Hill Conservation Landscape, an expanse of nearly 7,000 forested, boulder-strewn acres that are essential habitat for myriad plants, animals, and insects. Smith is an open space, trails, and historic preservation advocate who has long worked to advance open space protection and trail development in Western Montgomery County. In fact, Smith received a Planning Advocate Award from Montgomery County for his lifelong advocacy for open space preservation through civil leadership and personal generosity.
Smith and his wife, Gail Gosser-Smith, acquired the property with the intention of placing a conservation easement on it. “It is my firm belief that the planet is in crisis and, equally, it’s my firm belief that everyone can contribute towards conserving our earth’s natural environment,” said he said in a press release from N.