1 / 14

Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Programs and Initiatives

Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Programs and Initiatives. IRWA – February 24, 2010. Farmland Preservation Programs and Initiatives. Agricultural Security Area Program Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Program (Easement Purchase Program) Agricultural Lands Condemnation Approval Board

umika
Download Presentation

Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Programs and Initiatives

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Programs and Initiatives IRWA – February 24, 2010

  2. Farmland Preservation Programs and Initiatives • Agricultural Security Area Program • Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Program (Easement Purchase Program) • Agricultural Lands Condemnation Approval Board • Preferential Assessment of Farmland and Forestland – Clean and Green Program • Governor’s Executive Order 2003-2 • Local effective agricultural zoning laws

  3. Agricultural Security Area Program • What is an ASA? • Enrollment at the municipal level • 3.5 million acres enrolled statewide • What are the benefits of enrolling? • Prerequisite for Farmland Preservation Program • Provides board oversight in certain cases of eminent domain • Protection against local nuisance ordinances

  4. Farmland Preservation Program • Application at county level • Minimum criteria • Ranking • Appraisal • Landowner offer • State board approval • Settlement • Deed recording

  5. Farmland Preservation Program Update – February 2010 • 3,964 farms • 432,054 acres • $1 billion investment • Leading state in the nation

  6. Farmland Preservation Program permitted uses (utilities) • Granting of rights-of-way for lines for – • Water and sewer • Electric • Telephone • Coal by underground mining • Gas and oil • Oil products • Program pay-back for lands taken by eminent domain

  7. Farmland Preservation Program permitted uses (mining) • Leases for underground mining, oil and gas • Development of “appurtenant facilities” related to removal of underground coal, oil and gas • Lessee should work with landowner to minimize impacts to agricultural operation

  8. Agricultural Lands Condemnation Approval Board • Six member board oversees condemnation of productive agricultural lands and ASA lands • No prudent or reasonable alternative to proposed condemnation • Exemption for public utility projects that require PUC and FERC approval

  9. Clean and Green Program • 8.5 million acres enrolled • Preferential assessment of farmland and forestland • Three categories of eligibility • Split-off, separation and transfers • Rural Enterprises • Rollback tax consequences • Condemnation and voluntary sale in lieu of condemnation

  10. Clean and Green Program (continued) • Oil and gas exploration and drilling • Lack of uniformity from county to county • Senate Bill 298 • House Bill 1394

  11. Governor’s Executive Order 2003-2 • Commonwealth funds shall not be used to convert the following farmlands when feasible alternatives exist: • Preserved farmland • ASA farmland • Clean and Green farmland • Ag zoned land • Prime farmland soils (classes I-IV)

  12. Other farmland preservation “tools” • Effective Ag Zoning • Transfer of Development Rights

  13. Douglas M. Wolfgang Director Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Bureau of Farmland Preservation (717) 783-3167 dowolfgang@state.pa.us

More Related