HARRISBURG, April 16, 2015 – Berks County’s reputation as a leader in farmland preservation grew by another 406 acres today when the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board added five farms to the historic program.
The preservation board, of which Sen. Judy Schwank is a member, valued the tracts at $1,015,000.
Berks County now has 692 farms and 69,028 acres that are being protected from future development by their inclusion in the program.
“It takes dedicated farmers who, despite the challenges of farming, want and plan to continue producing delicious foods for our tables,” Schwank said. “Working to preserve farms in Berks County and across the commonwealth is a great mission, and it is helping us to ensure the availability and affordability of nutritious meat, vegetables, and dairy for generations to come.”
The conservation easements approved today by the board were paid to the following Berks County land owners:
- Lottie and Richard Berger – Greenwich Township,103.8 acres
- Christopher J. Hartman – Oley Township, 23.8 acres
- Glenn and Nancy Hoffman – Hereford Township,74 acres
- Phares & Ellen Newswanger – Maxatawny Township, 93.1 acres
- Kenneth Sanner – Greenwich Township, 111.1 acres
Since its inception in 1988, the commonwealth has protected 4,782 farms totaling 506,761 acres with nearly $1.4 billion in easements.
La administración local, del condado o estatal - o cualquier combinación de las tres - puede comprar servidumbres. Los condados que decidan tener un programa de compra de servidumbres deben crear una junta de preservación de tierras agrícolas.
El objetivo a largo plazo del programa estatal es preservar permanentemente las tierras agrícolas. Los titulares de las servidumbres tienen derecho a impedir el desarrollo o las mejoras del terreno para fines distintos de la producción agrícola.
Para más información sobre el programa de preservación de tierras agrícolas de Pensilvania, visite el sitio web de la Oficina de Preservación de Tierras Agrícolas.
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