The following is an article from The Daily Local of West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Organization Celebrates 41 years
By ANNE PICKERING Special to Tri County

EAST WHITELAND - In a speech at Green Valleys Association's annual fund-raising dinner, Kathleen McGinty, secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection, talked about the need for fostering an attitude of having both environmental protection and economic growth.

"Our economic ability, our competitiveness as a state, our ability to attract and keep families and young people and business investment here in these days of globally mobile capital is inextricably interconnected to the quality of life and beauty of place we have to offer," McGinty said.

But more than that, she heaped praise on the organization playing host last Tuesday night. In a culture of controversy over how to best protect the environment and maintain a strong business climate, McGinty said Green Valleys was a leader.

"A lot of people are living in a world where things green are all about red versus blue; all about economy versus the environment," she said.

She hailed Green Valleys for bringing together Republicans and Demo-crats, business leaders and environmental leaders who "agree that investments in our environmental quality are not a detriment but instead are essential for us to grow."

McGinty spoke to an audience of about 180 people Tuesday at the Desmond Hotel in Great Valley. Among the people in attendance were state and local politicians concerned with the ways in which commerce and conservation collided in Chester County.

Green Valleys is celebrating 41 years of stewardship of a 155-square-mile area in northern Chester County that is home to five watersheds. It is the only watershed association in the northern part of the county.

A few of the projects that Green Valleys initiated in 2005 were cooperative efforts on farms to protect streams from agriculture runoff and create wetlands to filter pollutants. McGinty praised the efforts and saw them as an examples of partnerships between economics and the environment.

"I see a rich set of partnerships that this association has forged with the farming community, knowing that the health and viability of agriculture is essential to the environmental integrity of this place as well," McGinty said.

"Our farmers grow more than commodities," she added. "They're growing open space."

She thanked Green Valleys, saying "if there is any group anywhere deserving of a most heartfelt thanks for your leadership and accomplishments for the people of the state of Pennsylvania, it is the Green Valleys Association."

U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-6th, of West Pikeland, appeared briefly and also had kind words for the environmental organization.

"I've had a long-standing relationship with Green Valleys and worked on a lot issues for them at the state level," Gerlach said. "They are a wonderful organization that has worked to improve the quality of life in our region."

Chuck Marshall, an environmental consultant who has been involved with protecting Valley Creek over the last 25 years and was a co-founder of the Chester County chapter of Trout Unlimited, joined the praise.

"I've worked with watershed associations and other nonprofits, and Green Valleys is one of the more effective watershed associations in the Philadelphia area," he said. "They have strong support among their members and a highly motivated staff."

With education being a major part of Green Valleys' mission, Executive Director Catharine Swan sent a message to the 180 environmentalists in the audience.

GVA’s 41st Annual Dinner at The Desmond

She urged people to identify institutions that are good role models, such as companies that employ good environmental building techniques or good landscaping practices.

"We'd like to highlight those businesses and educate people how they can be good environmental stewards," Swan said. "People work to protect what they value, and they value what they understand."