The Salisbury Township Environmental Advisory Council concluded the year 2024 with plans for the year 2025.

Welcomed to the EAC’s Dec. 18, 2024 meeting was Joseph J. ElChaar, newly-appointed member of the council.

Michele Lopez, Salisbury Township code enforcement officer, assistant zoning officer and rental inspector, chaired the EAC meeting.

Lopez said she would prepare the 2024 EAC annual report and present it to the township board of commissioners.

EAC events in 2024 included tree plantings April 13 and April 14 in honor of Earth Day in Lindberg Park, Devonshire Park and Franko Park.

Several speakers made presentations at EAC meetings in 2024.

A major EAC topic for 2024 and into 2025 is Walking Purchase Park, aka Lehigh Mountain Park, encompassing approximately 500 acres roughly between the Lehigh River and East Susquehanna Street and administered by Salisbury, Allentown and Lehigh County.

“We’re working with Wildlands Conservancy,” EAC Chair Maria Rodale said.

“Everyone agrees to transfer it [Walking Purchase Park] to Wildlands Conservancy, but there’s a lot of red tape,” Rodale said.

The EAC hopes to utilize email, inserts in township mailings to residents and social media to inform the public of its activities.

“What are the environmental issues?” township Commissioner Heather Lipkin, who is the EAC liaison to the board of commissioners, asked.

“One of the roles we can play is to help educate the citizens,” Rodale said.

The EAC would like to encourage youth involvement in its projects.

ElChaar, owner of South Mountain Grove in the township, said, “One goal could be having an event at the Grove to help environmental education.”

Rodale mentioned the Lehigh Valley Health Network “Blue Zones” project “to improve community well-being, resilience and economic vitality.”

According to the LVHN website, “‘Blue Zones Activate’ focuses on the foundational work of improving food environment policies and built environment policies.”

Blue Zones are based on research and principles by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and Explorer, who identified cultures of the world, so-called Blue Zones, which are said to have the healthiest and longest-living populations.

The EAC meets every other month. The EAC is next scheduled to meet 7 p.m. Feb. 19 in the meeting room of the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave.

The January Salisbury Township municipal meeting schedule includes: 7 p.m. Jan. 8, zoning hearing board; 7 p.m. Jan. 9, board of commissioners; 7 p.m. Jan. 22, planning commission, and 7 p.m. Jan. 23, board of commissioners.