READING, Dec. 13, 2012 — An additional 168 acres of Berks County farmland will be preserved through the purchase of conservation easements valued at $420,000 that were approved today by the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board, according to state Sen. Judy Schwank, a Preservation Board member.
According to the senator, the following farms will be preserved:
Family Municipality Acres Preserved
Pearl Noll Richmond Twp. 49.20
Naomi Mae Stutzman Longswamp Twp. 118.80
Total: 168.0
“Our farmlands play a crucial role in the vitality of our state and local economy, so it’s imperative that we preserve our agricultural industry,” Schwank said. “I’m pleased that our families farms are being preserved thanks to the preservation board funds.”
Statewide 4,364 farms totaling 470,155 acres have been preserved since the program’s inception. In Berks County 645 farms consisting of 65,118 acres have been preserved. Berks County has preserved more acreage of farmland than any other county in the state program.
The Agricultural Land Preservation Board is intended to permanently preserve large clusters of viable agricultural lands by acquiring agricultural conservation easements (ACE). An ACE prevents the development of the land for any purpose besides productive agriculture.
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