As a concerned citizen I would like to encourage my fellow Ferguson Township residents to amend our Home Rule Charter to include a Community Bill of Rights.

As a former AmeriCorps crewmember, I worked directly with hydrologists at Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, an environmental nonprofit in Bellingham, Wash.

In my experience there, I saw firsthand how difficult is to restore areas of a watershed back to its former state after being polluted. In light of the many environmental risks involved in the fracking process and the lack of representation for those directly affected by it, I encourage Ferguson Township residents to join other Pennsylvanians and vote yes on this referendum.

A yes vote not only ensures us the right to clean air and water, it ensures the representation of our residents and empowers the communities of Pennsylvania that are struggling without representation. The referendum question made it onto the ballot because of many of your signatures and, as a petition circulator, I feel very lucky to be living in our beautiful community.

Please join me in making an effort to protect it.

Annalisa Barron Pine Grove Mills