Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Land Preservation Board Wednesday safeguarded 2,359 additional acres on 26 farms in 13 counties through the state’s nationally renowned farmland preservation program.

The board preserved farms in Berks, Butler, Chester, Crawford, Cumberland, Erie, Juniata, Lancaster, Lycoming, Northampton, Perry, Union and York counties.

Since the program began in 1988, federal, state, county and local governments have invested more than $1.2 billion to preserve 486,628 acres on 4,558 farms in 57 counties for future agricultural production.

“Our farmland preservation program’s success is the partnership between government, non-profit organizations and the producers who enroll their land in the program,” said Agriculture Secretary George Greig. “Working together, we’re preserving Pennsylvania agriculture for generations of farm families to come.”

The board approved at the meeting a $30 million state funding threshold for 2014 easement purchases. Counties across Pennsylvania have certified $16.6 million for farmland preservation in 2014.

The Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program identifies properties and slows the loss of prime farmland to non-agricultural uses. It 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 $4.2 million in federal reimbursements.

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

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2/24/2014