Pennsylvania's Agricultural Land Preservation Board Thursday safeguarded 3,246 additional acres on 45 farms in 19 counties through the state's nationally renowned farmland preservation program.

The board preserved farms in Adams, Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Clinton, Cumberland, Dauphin, Fulton, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Sullivan and Westmoreland counties.

Since the program began in 1988, state, county and local governments have invested more than $1.2 billion to preserve 478,246 acres on 4,471 farms in 57 counties for future agricultural production.

"It's a great day for our nation-leading farmland preservation program, made possible by producers who recognize the importance of keeping prime land in agriculture production," Agriculture Secretary George Greig said. "Their foresight is helping to keep Pennsylvania growing for generations to come."

In its 25th year, 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 a record $6.1 million in federal reimbursements.

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

8/26/2013