On October 10, Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced Pennsylvania is investing $6,765,102 to purchase development rights for 1,953 acres on 28 farms in 16 counties, protecting them from future residential or commercial development.

These conservation easement purchases ensure that Pennsylvania farmers will have the quality land they need to continue supporting families, communities, and jobs in the future.

“Saving Pennsylvania’s fertile farmland for producing food, rather than losing it to warehouses and suburban sprawl is one of our biggest challenges,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Pennsylvania’s prime location near ports, interstates, railways, and 40 percent of the U.S. population means farmers face fierce competition from developers seeking to buy their land. The Shapiro Administration is investing, together with farm families and county and local government, to feed our families and our economy now and in the future.”

These easement purchases multiply the impact of Pennsylvania dollars invested in conservation initiatives, including the $154 million Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP),  Clean & Green tax incentives, $13 million in Resource Enhancement and Protection tax credits, and historic levels of support for Pennsylvania farmers who are conserving and enhancing the clean water and healthy soil they need to be productive in the future.

Pennsylvania leads the nation in preserved farmland. Since 1988, when voters overwhelmingly supported creating the state’s Farmland Preservation Program, Pennsylvania has protected  6,451 farms and 643,912 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing more than $1.7 billion in state, county, and local funds.

The state partners with county, and sometimes local government and nonprofits to purchase development rights, ensuring a strong future for farming and food security.

By selling development rights, farm owners ensure that their farms will remain productive farms and never be sold to developers.

Click Here for a list of farms preserved.

Visit the Department of Agriculture’s Farmland Preservation Program to learn more about this program.

Related Articles:

-- Dept. Of Agriculture Invests Over $6.7 Million To Ensure 28 Farms In 16 Counties Stay Farms Forever  [PaEN]

-- French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust Partners With Raymond & Kathleen Nester To Permanently Preserve 24-Acre Farm In Chester County  [PaEN]

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster Conservancy Adds 43 Acres To Kellys Run Nature Preserve

-- Bosland Growth, Western PA Conservancy Partner On Lake Pleasant Conservation Area Mine Land Reforestation Project In Erie County To Generate Carbon Credits  [PaEN]

[Posted: October 10, 2024]

10/21/2024