Salisbury Applies To Be Audubon Bird Town

Recognizing Salisbury Township's wooded South Mountain as home to birds of many different species, the township’s Environmental Advisory Council is hatching plans to make it even more bird-friendly.

The council is applying to have Salisbury Township designated an Audubon Bird Town community, Secretary Cynthia Sopka said at the council's Oct. 19 meeting. EAC members will add input and will likely make a formal presentation and recommendation to township commissioners at an upcoming meeting.

“We do have a very vibrant Audubon group in Salisbury,” noted Sopka, who is also the township’s planning and zoning director.

To qualify as a Bird Town, Salisbury needs to meet five out of 14 qualifications, such as having an Environmental Advisory Council, native plantings in parks, or park planning that improves bird habitat. Participation in Bird Town activities is expected to grow each year.

After achieving the designation, municipalities are expected to encourage residents to help create healthier environments for birds­ and people.

If Salisbury Township's application is approved, it would become the second Audubon Bird Town in Lehigh County, after Allentown, and the 11th in the state. In July, Allentown became the state’s first city to be designated a Bird Town.

In return for improved ecology and spirit of community, Bird Towns can expect to become safer, more rewarding places to live, work and play. Municipalities may also find that more natural landscaping costs less to maintain, according to the Audubon Web site.

Annual fees for program participation are $450 for materials and assistance, or $850 for materials, assistance and training for six individuals from the township.

EAC member Joe Hebelka said other environmental organizations also offer certification for wildlife habitats, such as the National Wildlife Federation, which he will be examining.