Farmland Preservation

Visit PA USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service NRCS provides technical and finanacial assistance to farmers and landowners who want to address natural resource concerns on their land

According to the American Farmland Trust, the United States is losing two acres of farmland every two minutes. The Farmland Preservation Program began in 1988 under an amendment to the Agricultural Area Security Law. The first easement was purchased to preserve a Pennsylvania farm in December 1989. As of October 2011 over 450,000 acres have been preserved in Pennsylvania.

Preserving our farmland is vital to our economy, our lifestyle and our environment. The Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Association cites the following reasons why this is true:

Cambria County's #1 industry is Agriculture
Cambria County is first in Pennsylvania in the production of potatoes and oats
Farmland provides wildlife habitat, recharges groundwater and slows stormwater runoff
Buying locally produced food is economical and environmentally friendly
Ensures that high quality farmland remains intact for future generations
Keeps property taxes low: for every dollar a farm family pays, only .33 cents of government services is used
Adds to aesthetic appeal and increases scenic visitors
Preserved farms increase environmental quality by implementing agricultural Best Management Practices (BMP)

In order to preseve the integrity of Pennsylvania agriculture and prevent the loss of high quality farmland to development and the loss of agricultural economy and way of life, the Farmland Presevation Program was established. Farmland Preservation is an Easement Purchase Program in which the county and state government purchase the easement (development rights) from the owners of quality farmland.

MINIMUM QUALIFYING CRITERIA

Must be enrolled in an Agricultural Security Area
Contiguous acreage of at least 35 acres in size or at least 10 acres that are contiguous to a property taht already has a perpetual conservation easement in place
50% of soils must fall into soils capability classes I-IV
The farmland tract must contain 50% harvested cropland, hayland or pasture
Mineral rights must be made known (i.e., owning mineral rights, deep mining only rights or a quitclaim release for surace mining rights are necessary to qualify.

RANKING SYSTEM

Soil Type

Developmental Potential

Clustering Potential

Farmland Potential

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please contact Mark Stockley, Land Resource Specialist at 814-472-2120 or stockley@co.cambria.pa.us. You can download the Agricultural Land Preservation Program of Cambria County brochure on our Documents and Reports page.

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2012 FARMLAND PRESERVATION

We are currently accepting applications for the Farmland Preservation Program. As of October 2011 there are thirteen farms preserved in Cambria County, totaling over 1,700 acres. The applications are due January 31, 2012. To receive an application, please call 814-472-2120.