An ad hoc committee of concerned citizens voluntarily assembled in the summer of 2003 to talk about what should and could be done to protect the area and life style we currently enjoy. They prevailed on the elected officials of six municipalities to support the effort and in March of 2004 the governing bodies of Ararat, Gibson, Herrick and Thompson Townships and Thompson and Union Dale Boroughs, entered into an intergovernmental agreement forming the Eastern Susquehanna County Partnership (ESCP). Their purpose was to investigate ways to preserve the rural character of the area and determine how they might work together to better serve you, the residents of their municipalities. The ESCP teamed up with the Susquehanna County Planning Department, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development and Planning Commission (NTRPDC)and, retained the services of Gannett Fleming, Inc., a consultant specializing in municipal planning. The partnership also formed a planning committee and obtained grant monies and in-kind services commitments from Susquehanna County and NTRPDC to help offset the cost of putting together this plan.