Agricultural Land Preservation Program

Purpose:

To protect and promote the continued agricultural use of Pike County's valuable agricultural lands by acquiring agricultural conservation easements from willing landowners on actively farmed lands within Agricultural Security Areas (ASA's).

In January 2015, the Pike County Commissioners certified $1,000 for the purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements in Pike County. This money was matched by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture in February, resulting in an allocation of $141,438 to aid Pike County in preserving farmland through Agricultural Conservation Easements.

PROGRAM HISTORY

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.

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.

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 Agricultural Land Preservation Board members in early 2007 and the Manual review became their first major task under the new program. Now that the Manual has been approved by the Pennsylvania State Agricultural Land Preservation Board, Pike County can accept 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  Jessica Yoder at the Planning office.