Farm Park Preservation Association

Letter to members December, 2022

Dear FPPA Member:

I am writing to let you know that the Board of Directors of the Farm Park Preservation Association has decided to dissolve the organization, after almost 22 years of service.

This was a difficult decision for all of us, especially for me as a founding board member. We formed when the Farm Park's future was at risk from a proposal to build a PGA golf course complex on the site. Then later, a proposal to create a veterans' cemetery there put the park at risk again. Our members made their commitment to the park clear and helped to defeat these proposals. The FPPA has stood watch over the park since then.

The park's future now seems secure. No threats have arisen in over fifteen years. Attendance has increased every year. The need for an organization like the FPPA has diminished greatly.

Besides commissioning a commemorative bench in the park to remind visitors of the effort that you, our members, have made on behalf of the park, the board has decided to contribute the bulk of our remaining funds to support the educational programs that the park puts on. We hope that this will draw even more people to the park, helping to further secure its future. We hope that you are able to take advantage of some of these interesting programs.

We all share a love of the Norristown Farm Park that will live on long after the FPPA ceases operations.

Sincerely,

Tina Howell

FPPA President

About the FPPA

The Farm Park Preservation Association (FPPA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to the preservation, protection and promotion of the Norristown Farm Park (NFP) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

The FPPA began in the fall of 2000 when a possible alternative use for the Park was made public: a proposal to convert NFP into two PGA golf courses, which are classified as limited use open space. We were a group of citizens concerned with the prospects of losing free access to the Park’s 690 acres of passive recreational open space and displacement of the wildlife now residing in the Park. We organized a petition drive, collected approximately 4,000 signatures in favor of retaining the Park and were successful in defeating the golf course proposal. When the prospect of losing the Park became less threatening, we decided to broaden the purpose of the group to the preservation, protection and promotion of the Park. We incorporated on December 15, 2000 and became a tax-exempt charitable organization with 501(c)(3) status on February 15, 2001; all contributions to the FPPA are 100% tax deductible. We are entirely a volunteer organization; we have no paid staff. All contributions benefit NFP. We continue to maintain our vigilance against any use not in compliance with the Master Plan of this highly visible and extremely valuable property.

The Missions of the FPPA

These missions are the FPPA's guiding watchwords. Everything we do is aligned with, and encompassed by these three concerns.

Preserve

We will work to preserve the Norristown Farm Park in its present state as a passive multiuse recreational facility and to maintain its natural habitat and its diverse wildlife.

Protect

We will remain vigilant against any threats of development that would jeopardize the park’s unique natural, agricultural, and historical value.

Promote

We support events that promote public awareness of the Park and the unique opportunities for the recreational pursuits it offers. We will maintain communication with various government agencies—state, county, and local—to keep them informed of the importance of the Park and its contribution to the community.

Montgomery County's Master Plan for the Farm Park has been FPPA's touchstone since our founding. Read the executive summary here.