FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2005
Contact:  Kristin Ebersole
(717) 787-3817
kebersole@pasen.gov
Back

Senate Passes Waugh's Farmland Preservation Bill

HARRISBURG –Sen. Mike Waugh's (R-York) Senate Bill 940, which would permanently establish the Land Trust Reimbursement Program and the Agricultural Land Conservation Assistance Grant Program, gained unanimous support from the Senate today. 

Waugh's legislation would amend the Agricultural Area Security Law, Pennsylvania's farmland preservation program, to include these two programs, which were created through independent legislation and with limited funds. 

"It is important for both agricultural producers and the Commonwealth to advance these programs to permanent status," said Waugh. 

The Land Trust Reimbursement Program accelerates farmland preservation activity at minimal cost to the state by encouraging the preservation of land through non-profit land trusts.  It was initiated as a pilot program through Act 15 of 1999, which authorized the State Farmland Preservation Board to reimburse qualified land trusts up to $5000 for expenses incurred in the acquisition of agricultural conservation easements.  The program was very successful. 

On average, the cost to preserve a farm through the state farmland preservation program is $2100 per acre.  However, thanks to this program over 7,300 acres have been preserved by participating land trusts at a cost to the Commonwealth of approximately $62 per acre.  Originally, this program had a total of $500,000, of which only $46,000 remains. 

"By permanently establishing this program and providing an annual allocation of $200,000 from the Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Fund, we are creating a win-win situation for the Commonwealth, for our non-profit agricultural land trusts and our farmers," said Waugh. 

The Agricultural Land Conservation Assistance Grant Program, which was reenacted through Act 99 of 1994, is used to encourage eligible counties to implement effective county farmland preservation programs.

Act 99 authorized up to $750,000 of monies deposited into the Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Fund from the sale of state farmlands to be used for matching grants to assist counties with their farmland preservation programs.  To date, five rounds of applications have been approved with four counties reaching the maximum accumulative grant ceiling of $25,000. 

"My legislation will remove the $25,000 limitation, setting an annual cap of $10,000 per county," said Waugh. 

Currently, $358,434 remains available to counties in this program. 

SB 940 now goes to the House for consideration.