Murrysville's Larese lauded for 40 years of conservation efforts

When Larry Larese was recognized last week for his conservation work in West-moreland County, it was with an award named for his mentor, J. Roy Houston.

Larese of Murrysville received the Westmoreland Conservation District's Houston Conservation Partnership Award. Houston was the district's chairman for about four decades.

“I started in 1971 and had a 40-year career as a county planning director and director for the industrial development corporation of the county,” Larese said. “Roy's wife was from Export, and when I got the planning director job in '71, he kind of took me under his wing.”

From his work in helping to bring municipal water service to the Salina, Truxall and Fitz Henry areas, to his efforts to set aside between 25 and 30 percent of the land in each county park as open space, Larese has spent four decades working to establish a balance between the development of the county and the preservation of its rural character.

Larese was instrumental in the formation of the Westmoreland Land Trust, which in eight years has conserved more than 230 acres, part of his push for “balance” throughout the county.

“When we did a comprehensive plan, we promoted that balance between development and conservation,” he said. “I think that's what Westmoreland County people like about living here. People want choices, but they also like the amount of open space we have.”

Born and raised in Export, known for its coal production, Larese saw firsthand the impact that mining had on the county's natural resources. He served two terms on the Turtle Creek Watershed Association board of directors, working to clean streams polluted by abandoned mine drainage.

Larese said he took pride in working to accomplish the goals he and fellow conservationists set out to achieve.

“Whether it was economic development, conservation or revitalizations, whatever obstacles came up I tried to work hard and get the job done,” he said.

That outlook made Larese a perfect candidate for the Houston award, according to Westmoreland Conservation District Manager and CEO Greg Phillips.

“The criteria that we developed reflect his service to the community. Roy was really big into economic development and sustainability, and he was a mentor to both Larry and me,” Phillips said.

Larese even managed to conserve regional conservation entities: while planning the campus where the Westmoreland Conservation District is housed, on Donohoe Road in Hempfield, he helped develop a proposal to bring agricultural and conservation groups together in one spot.

“For many years, those agencies were scattered throughout central Westmoreland,” he said. “Now we have all the ag agencies and many of the conservation and environmental organizations on the same campus.”

Larese will be the fifth recipient of the Houston award. He said its namesake means a lot.

“Named after (Roy), that's kind of what makes it special to me,” he said.

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2862 or pvarine@tribweb.com.