HARRISBURG, Aug. 13, 2015 – A 54-acre tract in Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, is now under the commonwealth’s farmland preservation shield, state Sen. Judy Schwank said today.
Lawrence and Donna Arnold received nearly $135,000 in conservation easements in exchange for including their farm in the long-running program.
“The Arnolds have worked this land and they have worked to protect their farm for years,” Sen. Schwank, who is a member of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board, said following the panel’s approval of the application. “Because the Arnold farm is now protected from future non-agricultural development, it will continue to produce valuable products for Pennsylvanians for years to come.”
With the addition of the Tulpehocken Township acreage, Berks County now has 696 farms – and 69,361 acres – in the state’s farmland preservation program. Berks County has preserved more acreage of farmland than any other county in the program.
Since the farmland preservation program started in 1988, the commonwealth has protected 4,831 farms totaling 511,335 acres with nearly $1.29 billion in easements.
Local, county or state government – or any combination of the three – may buy easements. Counties that decide to have an easement purchase program must create an agricultural land preservation board.
The long-term goal of the state’s program is to permanently preserve farmland. The holders of the easements have the right to prevent development or improvements of the land for purposes other than agricultural production.
For more information on PA’s farmland preservation program, visit the Bureau of Farmland Preservation’s website.
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