Environment

As of February 10, 2015, Upper Dublin Township officially became the 25th Audubon Bird Town in Pennsylvania, and the 6th in Montgomery County. Bird Town is a working partnership of the Pennsylvania Audubon Council to promote conservation and community-based actions to create a healthy, more sustainable environment for birds and people. A Bird Town makes efforts to restore valuable ecosystem services to create a culture of conservation where everyone is a potential steward of nature in their backyard and beyond.

Township staff, along with the Environmental Protection Advisory Board, will work with the Pennsylvania Audubon Council to increase "green" living, promote a culture of conservation in our community, and provide positive social, economic, and ecological outcomes.

For more information on Audubon Bird Towns, and for resources related to bird conservation, visit the Pennsylvania Audubon Council website.

All yard waste and leaves collected in the Township are taken to a composting facility where they are composted, turned to a high-quality mulch that is then offered to residents at no charge.

Visit the Compost Facility page for more information on township composting.

Upper Dublin Township replaced street lighting throughout the Township with energy-efficient LEDs. The replacement was completed in late fall 2017 with a few additions in 2018.

The move helps the Township save in electricity costs, reduce carbon emissions and help make streets safer. LEDs can cut energy use and carbon emissions by up to 60 percent and can last years longer than traditional street lights. They also distribute light more consistently, with fewer dark spots, so streets are illuminated more evenly and less light is misdirected. LED street light costs have been dropping and efficiencies improving in recent years as the technology has become increasingly efficient.

This replacement was in part a necessity, as 30% of the Township's streetlights were a technology that was banned from production effective 2008, and, therefore, could not be repaired nor replaced with the original technology.

The overall objectives associated with this initiative included:

• Converting all roadway and street lights to LED technology
• Obtaining accurate GIS data for luminaires with GPS technology
• Optimizing benefits of the program with improved lighting
• Reducing energy consumption and annual costs of street lights
• Minimizing future costs to maintain and replace the converted street lights
• The cost of this replacement will pay for itself within 13 years through rebates and reduced energy and maintenance costs

Upper Dublin Township
Tree Planting and Care Fund Procedures
March 14, 2022

This Memorandum sets out procedures Upper Dublin Township will follow to implement Board of Commissioners Resolution #21-2445, adopted December 14, 2021, establishing the “Tree Planting and Care Fund”.

Additions to the Fund – Monies may be added to the fund from the following sources:

1. Unrestricted Donations
2. Restricted Donations
3. Appropriations by a unit of government
4. Grants

Disbursements from the Fund – Monies may be disbursed from the Fund as follows:

1. Manager -- Every proposal to the Fund shall designate a manager who shall be responsible for (1) executing the proposal if it is approved, and (2) approving and presenting invoices for payment.  The Manager may be an entity such as a Township Department, Board or Commission, or external organization.  In every case, a contact individual shall be identified with contact information (address, phone number and email address).
2. Disbursement Process – Disbursements shall be made by the Township through the Finance Department directly to vendors of material or services upon invoices presented to the Finance Director referring to the proposal and containing the approval of the proposal’s manager.
3. Unrestricted Donations may be disbursed upon submission to the Finance Director of an approved proposal in accordance with the Resolution.  The proposal will be reviewed by the Finance Director, the Parks & Recreation Director, and the Chair of the Shade Tree Commission.  If they agree that (1) the proposal meets the terms of the Resolution, (2) there are sufficient monies available in the fund to support it, and (3) in considering other competing proposals in hand or expected it is meritorious, they will approve the proposal subject to Section 3, below.  In considering proposals, efforts shall be made to allocate funds throughout the Township.  Unrestricted donations may be used only for the planting and care of trees on Public Lands in Upper Dublin Township, which shall include property owned by Upper Dublin Township, the School District of Upper Dublin, Montgomery County, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and any Authority or Commission of these entities, or which are part of the public right-of-way.
4. Restricted Donations may be disbursed upon submission to the Finance Director of a proposal in accordance with the Resolution. The proposal will be reviewed by the Finance Director, the Parks & Recreation Director, and the Chair of the Shade Tree Commission.  If they agree that (1) the proposal meets the terms of the Resolution, (2) the restrictions imposed by the donor or donors are reasonable and appropriate, (3) the proposal meets the terms of applicable restrictions, and (4) there are sufficient monies available in the fund to support it, they will approve the proposal subject to Section 3, below. If they do not approve the proposal, they will afford the donor or donors with an opportunity to modify the proposal, waive the restrictions, or obtain a refund of their donations.  Donors may request a determination of the reasonableness and appropriateness of intended restrictions before making donations.  If following the completion of a project involving Restricted Donations some funds remain, the donor will be asked if the restrictions should be maintained for a future project or transferred to Unrestricted Donations.  Where it is not feasible to contact the donor because of multiple donations for the same project or otherwise, or where Unrestricted Donations remain unused after 3 years, the restrictions shall no longer apply and the donations will be deemed Unrestricted.
5. Appropriations may be disbursed upon submission to the Finance Director of a proposal in accordance with the Resolution.  The proposal will be reviewed by the Finance Director, the Parks & Recreation Director, and the Chair of the Shade Tree Commission.  If they agree that (1) the proposal meets the terms of the Resolution, and (2) the proposal meets the terms of the Appropriation, they will approve the proposal.
6. Grants may be disbursed upon submission to the Finance Director of a proposal in accordance with the Resolution.  The proposal will be reviewed by the Finance Director, the Parks & Recreation Director, and the Chair of the Shade Tree Commission.  If they agree that (1) the proposal meets the terms of the Resolution, and (2) the proposal meets the terms of the Grant, they will approve the proposal, subject to the provisions of Section 3, below.
7. Eligible Disbursements shall include reimbursements to the Township for specific and direct costs arising from any proposal, such as for personnel used for distributing, planting, watering.

Role of Governmental Units—Nothing in this Procedures Memorandum is intended to nor shall be construed to reduce, contradict or circumvent the provisions of laws or ordinances conferring authority on other Governmental units, such as (a) the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the County of Montgomery, or the School District of Upper Dublin, regarding property they own, (b) the Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission, whose approval is required for tree plantings, removals and prunings in the ROW and on Township property, and (c) any Authority, or Commission of these entities. The provisions stated above for the Finance Director, Parks Director and STC Chair review of proposals is intended to facilitate the development and presentation of proposals.

Jonathan Bleemer, Finance Director