Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Land Preservation Board Thursday protected 1,493 additional acres on 18 farms in 12 counties from development through the state’s nationally renowned farmland preservation program.

The board preserved farms in Bucks, Carbon, Centre, Clinton, Cumberland, Dauphin, Greene, Lancaster, Monroe, Northampton, Northumberland and Pike counties.                                                                                                             

Since the program began in 1988, state, county and local governments have invested nearly $1.2 billion to preserve 473,094 acres on 4,403 farms in 57 counties for future agricultural production.

“As the cornerstone of Pennsylvania’s economy and a way of life for more than 62,000 families, agriculture is important to Governor Tom Corbett,” Agriculture Secretary George Greig said. “On his behalf, I thank the producers who are participating in this program. They’re ensuring that the state will remain an agricultural powerhouse for generations to come.”

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program identifies properties and slows the loss of prime farmland to non-agricultural uses.

The program enables state, county and local governments to purchase conservation easements, also called development rights, from owners of quality farmland.

In some cases, the federal Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program provides additional assistance. Last fiscal year, Pennsylvania received $6.1 million in federal reimbursements, the largest amount ever.

For more information, visit Agriculture’s Farmland Preservation webpage.

4/22/2013