Montgomery County is focused on preserving open space to benefit the community in the long-term.

The county commissioners voted Thursday to preserve the Rodgers Property, 75 acres of open space, for recreational use.

The Montgomery County Lands Trust acquired a $342,000 grant to purchase the property, located in Upper Salford Township. The action was unanimously passed by the commissioners.

The commissioners originally established the Green Fields/Green Towns Program on Dec. 18, 2003.

The program provides grant funds for open space preservation within Montgomery County.

The county grant will be matched with grants of around $670,000 from the Pa. Department of Conservation and Natural Space, $150,000 from the Open Space Institute and $20,000 from Upper Salford Township.

There were more than $1.2 million worth of donations from the public, non-profit organizations, and the community in support of preserving the 75 acres.

The area of preservation has the only two of the high quality streams in the county running through the property, said Commissioner Leslie Richards. The property is also among the highest priority for natural resource protection within the county, which makes it even more important to save.

Seventeen acres of the land are going to be used for a publicly accessible park, which will include trails and footpaths for strolling, fishing, and nature watching.

"We hope to be able to eventually connect the Rodgers property to the Perkiomen Trail," said Dulcie Flaharty, Montgomery County Lands Trust.

The Perkiomen Trail draws 5,000 users on a monthly basis.

Chairman Joshua Shapiro informed the public that the commissioners have made it a goal to preserve open space and natural resources, and they are taking action to do just that.

"You have restored integrity and stability to conservation in this area," said Flaharty, thanking the commissioners for visiting the property and helping Montgomery County to permanently protect the open space.