|
An extremely important aspect of Pike
County’s Scenic Rural Character Preservation Program is the
establishment of the County’s first Agricultural Land
Preservation Program. At the recommendation of the Pike County
Planning Commission, the Pike County Board of Commissioners passed a
resolution at their March 22, 2006 public meeting which established
a County-wide Agricultural Land Preservation Program and created the
Pike County Agricultural Land Preservation Board to administer that
program.
The adoption of this Resolution not
only signifies the county's commitment to Pennsylvania's farmland
preservation program but also acknowledges the importance to the
County of preserving and maintaining Pike County's agricultural
lands as a valued economic, natural, ecological, cultural, and
historic resource.
While Pike County’s farming community
may not play a significant part in the State’s agricultural economy,
Pike County’s farmland does play a significant role in the scenic
rural character of our local communities. The small family
farms, which include pastureland, harvested hayland, orchards and
similar agriculture areas, provide scenic open space areas which
have a proven value to both residents and tourist visitors to the
County.
In upcoming years as the County
continues to grow, the Pike County agricultural community (our small
farms) will be faced with monumental impediments to their continued
operation. Rising costs of farm operation, fluctuating farm product
market prices and demand, steadily increasing property/school taxes
and the continued pressure from development provide difficult
hurdles for small farmers in the County who want to continue their
operations and keep the “family farms” in the family. Pike County
“prime agricultural soils” are areas increasingly sought after for
residential development. The reduction in our small farm community
corresponds directly to these impediments and the increase in the
amount of residential development in the County. The farming areas
that do exist in the County will become even more fragmented.
This program will help to strengthen
and protect our quality farmland areas in the County for the
continued production of food and other agricultural products. It
will also assist our small family farm landowners with the
preservation and continued operation of these farms by providing
additional important and viable options for them.
Additionally, the Pike County
Agricultural Land Preservation Program is an extremely important
component of the County’s Scenic Rural Character Preservation
Program. Creating the County’s Agricultural Preservation Program and
working with voluntary landowners and municipal officials to create
Agricultural Security Areas (ASA’s) in our prime farming communities
will provide important opportunities for the successful
implementation of this important component of the overall Scenic
Rural Character Preservation Program.
The purpose of the Pike County
Agricultural Land Preservation Program is to protect and promote the
continued agricultural use of valuable agricultural lands by
acquiring agricultural conservation easements on actively farmed
lands within AG Security Areas (ASA’s). The purchase of these
easements from willing and interested landowners will provide these
landowners with a more viable option for retaining the small farm
operations and our local communities’ rural character.
The Commissioners created the Pike
County Agricultural Land Preservation Board, a five (5) member Board
appointed by the Board of Commissioners. The Board's primary goals
will be the implementation of the AG Land Preservation program
including:
- Promoting efforts to
support the agricultural community in Pike County and maximize Pike
County’s agricultural lands’ contribution to the county’s
agricultural and tourism economy.
-
Encouraging the use of additional
farmland preservation techniques through public and private
organizations in Pike County.
-
Encouraging the formation of
Agricultural Security Areas (ASA’s) within the County by working
with landowners and municipal officials
-
Administering the program for
purchasing and/or accepting gifts of agricultural conservation
easements within Agricultural Security Areas (ASA) on behalf of the
County. That will include adopting rules and regulations for
the program, executing all agreements or other documents necessary
to effect the purchase of such easements in the name of Pike County
and/or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, maximizing agricultural
easement purchase funds and protecting the investment of
taxpayers.
During 2006, the Pike County Office
of Community Planning worked with the Commissioners to draft Pike
County’s Agricultural Land Preservation Program Manual. The Planning
staff worked with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service
State Soil Scientist and the local District Conservationist to
develop Soil Rating for the Land Evaluation portion of the Manual.
Planning staff also worked closely with the PA Department of
Agriculture to further detail the necessary sections of the Pike
County Manual required under the State’s AG Preservation Program.
The Commissioners appointed the AG Preservation Board members in
early 2007 and the Manual review became their first major task under
the new program. Once the Manual is approved by the Pennsylvania
State Agricultural Land Preservation Board which is expected in
early 2007, Pike County can begin to prepare for applications for
easement purchases under the program. Interested landowners must be
included in an approved Agricultural Security Area (ASA) in the
County in order to apply for easement purchases. Only “willing”
participation by landowners in an ASA and for easement purchases can
be considered. Further details on this can be obtained by contacting
Preservation Planner Jessica Yoder at the Planning office.
The Commissioners have allocated
$500,000 from the Scenic Rural Character Preservation program to be
used for the County’s AG Land Preservation Program. SRCP Bond funds
will be maximized since there are grant and matching funds available
for the purchase of agricultural conservation easements through the
PA Department of Agriculture Farmland Preservation Program.
|
