Kipp earns Connection’s Community Contributor Award

Many people believe being involved in your community is a retired person’s responsibility. They view the early decades of one’s career as a time to figure out a path, have some fun, and focus on family.

Sarah Kipp took a different approach when she moved to Adams County in 2009. The Ohio native arrived here as a stranger, determined to bust the stereotype that one must have a few generations of roots in south central Pennsylvania to make a meaningful impact.

Kipp recently completed a seven-day cross-country road trip to start a new life in McMinnville, Oregon and a career with the Oregon Agricultural Trust. Generations of Adams County residents and visitors will benefit from her work with the Land Conservancy of Adams County, Historic Gettysburg Adams County, Gettysburg Borough Planning Commission, Healthy Adams Bicycle Pedestrian Inc., and other organizations. 

For her efforts over the past 17 years, The Gettysburg Connection is proud to present her with the Community Contributor Award.

Young Kipp

The Land Conservancy of Adams County was looking for a new land conservation coordinator in 2009 to help steward its mission of perpetually preserving open spaces. Kipp applied and was struck by the quaint small town with a preserved battlefield butted up against open farmland. 

“The national military park prevented sprawling development from occurring in ways that many other places have experienced,” Kipp recalled. “I also love the variety of rural landscape – the orchards on the western side next to Michaux State Forest, the horse farms in the southeast, the hay fields in Freedom Township.”

Pat Naugle, Land Conservancy board president at the time, recalls Kipp making a similar impression on those charged with filling the vacancy. 

“I spent a lot of time with Sarah in the open spaces of Adams County, usually during annual inspection tours of all the properties preserved by LCAC,” Naugle said. “Sarah is totally dedicated to all aspects of conservation, particularly forests, riparian buffers along streams, and wetlands. Sarah loved the wildlife we encountered on those forays.” 

Naugle remembers her competence and confidence to take on challenges. Kipp became acquainted with her new community by biking every road in Adams County. When Naugle ran from snakes during their time in the wild, Kipp approached them with curiosity. She also explored a time-honored Pennsylvania tradition—deer hunting.

“She took all the safety training, practiced shooting, learned how to process the animal, learned deer habits, got up on some very cold mornings to take the field, and enjoyed the challenge,” Naugle said. “Experiencing deer in their element provided Sarah with a closeness to nature and engendered respect for the natural world.”

Making a Difference

The beauty of Adams County was evident to Kipp from the first day she arrived, but over time she began to develop an equal respect and appreciation for the area’s citizens. 

“One of the things I hadn’t anticipated about living in a small town is the opportunity to feel like you can make a difference,” she said. 

Former Gettysburg Borough Councilwoman Patti Lawson and Kipp were both volunteers with Healthy Adams Bicycle Pedestrian Inc,, which works to develop safe, accessible walking and bicycling trails and paths in Adams County.

“I was always impressed by her professionalism, yet affable way of working with volunteers,” Lawson said. “I will miss her dedication and commitment to our community, and her friendly smile and wave as she bicycled past.”

Conservation and preservation were not just Kipp’s day job; they were her passion. She donated her expertise and many volunteer hours to Historic Gettysburg Adams County’s Barn Preservation Project and Grant Program. 

She and other volunteers surveyed many of the historic barns within Adams County by assisting with the measurement, photographing and analysis of the features of each barn.

“Sarah’s combination of preservation vision and her skill and ability to bring grant and other funding sources to bear to realize that vision are unmatched within Adams County and the Borough of Gettysburg,” Curt Musselman, founding executive director of the HGAC Barn Preservation Project and Grant Program said. “She realized that preserving the rural character of the county was a bigger order than acquiring conservation easements for the LCAC. Preserving the historic barns on the landscape provides the rural character to what would otherwise just be open space.” 

Kipp also spent many Monday nights in Gettysburg Borough Hall as a longtime member of the Planning Commission. Work in the public sphere is not for the faint of heart, and Kipp often faced harsh criticism when she weighed in on controversial proposals. Current Planning Commission Chairman Charles Strauss commended her for her constant professionalism.

“Sarah brought a rare, essential combination to this commission: a professional degree in planning, fused with a deep, personal commitment to Gettysburg and Adams County,” Strauss said. “Sarah has been consistently guided by a single principle: respect for Gettysburg as a place and respect for the people who live here.”

Advocacy

Kipp will probably be most remembered for her respect for land and animals, but she has a similar regard for people and never hesitated to speak up for equality. 

“Sarah and I shared a desire and commitment to increase diversity on the Gettysburg Police Department,” Lawson said. 

Kipp asked the Gettysburg Borough Council several times in the past year to support the 30×30 initiative, which aims to increase the number of women in law enforcement. Kipp noted the initiative states that 14 percent of active officers and 20 percent of recruits are women. Until recently, for the past few years Gettysburg had no female officers.

Parting thoughts

Kipp’s commitment to the Land Conservancy’s preservation mission has largely resulted in the organization’s total preservation impact of approximately 14,000 acres, Board President David Salisbury said. 

“Given these properties will be permanently preserved for all future generations, Sarah’s efforts will have a truly lasting benefit for all those residents and visitors who enjoy the rural lands and character of Adams County now and forever,” Salisbury said.

Kipp believes there is much more work to be done, and encourages people to educate themselves before they speak on an issue. Recently, she has heard incorrect claims of solar farms being installed on preserved lands.

“No permanently preserved properties allow utility-scale solar installations, so I assume those people are confusing permanent conservation easements with Clean and Green, the tax abatement program, in which landowners can get out of by paying seven years of rollback taxes,” she said.   

Also, preservation and economic development are not opposing forces.

“We can have both preservation and development. In fact, land preservation is a way to make sure that development occurs in the most appropriate areas, and that we don’t lose the special places that we love about our countryside – farms, forests, wildlife habitat, and beautiful landscapes that we all can enjoy,” Kipp said. 

She also encourages people to get involved and challenge themselves, whether it is by becoming involved in a non-profit organization or exploring Adams County by bicycle.

“The battlefield is a great place to start riding because cars generally go slower,” she said. “Once you feel more comfortable on the bike and being aware of your surroundings, there are plenty of quiet rural roads in the county that don’t have much traffic. Some of my favorites near Gettysburg are Red Rock Road, Good Intent Road, and Rentzel Road.”