Sen. Noah W. Wenger (R-Lancaster/Chester) retired this week after serving 30 years in the Senate and House of Pennsylvania.

Sen. Wenger was the key architect of Pennsylvania’s farmland preservation law, which has permanently preserved over 1,500 farms in the Commonwealth, including 28,000 acres in Lancaster County. Pennsylvania is now the number one state in the nation for farmland preservation. He is also the owner of a 107-acre livestock and poultry farm.

In addition to serving as Chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Appropriations Committees, Sen. Wenger served as a member and Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission and as a member of the Chesapeake Bay Program Executive Council.

Most recently, Sen. Wenger was the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 1286, the Resource Enhancement and Protection Act (REAP), that would give farmers tax credits for installing best management practices to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff.

He is the recipient of many awards from organizations including from the Lancaster County Conservancy, the Lancaster Farmland Trust, the American Farmland Trust, the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts.

This video was aired on the floor of the Senate this week as a tribute to Sen. Wenger’s service to the Commonwealth.

Video Blog: Sen. Wenger Video Tribute

11/24/2006