9 de junio de 2016
Harrisburg – June 9, 2016 – The Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board today approved an additional 194 acres of Berks County farmland for preservation, state Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) said today.
“The farmland preservation program is so vitally important to the agriculture community of Berks County and all across the state,” Schwank said. “Preserving farmland for agricultural purposes enhances family farming, promotes efficient land use and keeps acres in production without outside development pressures.”
Schwank who is a member of the board in addition to serving as Democratic chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said that 110. 7 acres in Centre Township and another 82.7 acres in Perry Township will be preserved.
The board approved conservation easements valued at $483,500 to preserve the farmland.
“Berks County has been a statewide leader in preserving farmland,” Schwank said. “We have a long history of farming in the county and with the help of preservation activities we will continue to keep land in agricultural production.”
The farm that will be preserved in Centre Township belongs to Dale and Carolyn Machmer. The Perry Township farm is owned by Marie Strause and Carol Fetherol.
Statewide 4,977 farms totaling 522,545 acres have been preserved since the program’s inception. In Berks County, 711 farms consisting of 70,227 acres have been preserved. Berks County has preserved more acreage of farmland than any other county in the state program.
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October 8, 2015
Harrisburg, Oct. 8, 2015 – Additional acres of Berks County farmland will be preserved following today’s approval of the purchase of conservation easements by the state Agricultural Land Preservation Board, according to state Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks).
Schwank, who is a preservation board member, said that nearly 15 acres of farmland in Perry Township belonging to Marie M. Hill valued at $35,000 will be preserved from non-agricultural development.
“It is critical that farming remains viable and it can be if farmland is protected from commercial development,” Schwank said. “The work of preserving farms is on-going and the board needs to continue bringing more farmland into the program.
“Farming is an economic powerhouse and a leading industry in Pennsylvania and it can only stay vibrant if land is preserved for generations to come.”
Pennsylvania is a national leader in preserving farmland. The Pennsylvania farmland preservation program went into effect in 1988 and the first conservation easement was purchased in December 1989.
Statewide 4,860 farms totaling 514,022 acres have been preserved since the program’s inception. In Berks County, 697 farms consisting of 69,361 acres have been preserved. Berks County has preserved more acreage of farmland than any other county in the state program.
“As someone who has worked on farming issues and with farmers for generations, I am proud that Berks County has more acreage protected than any other county in the entire state,” Schwank said. “The new 15 acre parcel in Berks that has been preserved will add even more depth to the program in the county.”
Schwank has long been involved in agriculture and farming issues. Previously, she served as horticultural agent for Penn State Cooperative Extension and established the Master Gardener Program. She was also director of the Berks County Cooperative Extension Program. Schwank is currently the Democratic chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
The Agricultural Land Preservation Board has 17 members. It is responsible for distributing funds in addition to monitoring county preservation programs.
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11 de junio de 2015
HARRISBURG, June 11, 2015 – Berks County’s farmland preservation movement expanded today when a state panel added another 280 acres to the commonwealth’s preservation program.
Sen. Judy Schwank, who is a member of the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board, said the group added the acreage with its purchase of conservation easements for three farms:
Glenn Henne/Rebecca DeBenedictis, JeffersonTownship 42.8 acres
Steven Henne, Upper Tulpehocken Township 88.7 acres
Daniel Unterkofler, Centre Township 148.1 acres
“Glenn and Rebecca, Steven, and Daniel have stepped up to make sure their land is used for farming and agriculture for decades to come and we should all feel good about that,” Schwank said. “Berks County now has 695 farms – and 69,307 acres in the state’s farmland preservation program. This is money well spent.”
Berks County has preserved more acreage of farmland than any other county in the program.
Today’s easement for the three farms totaled $699,000.
Since the farmland preservation program started in 1988, the commonwealth has protected 4,802 farms totaling 508,478 acres with nearly $1.29 billion in easements.
Local, county or state government – or any combination of the three – may buy easements. Counties that decide to have an easement purchase program must create an agricultural land preservation board.
El objetivo a largo plazo del programa estatal es preservar permanentemente las tierras agrícolas. Los titulares de las servidumbres tienen derecho a impedir el desarrollo o las mejoras del terreno para fines distintos de la producción agrícola.
For more information on PA’s farmland preservation program, visit the Bureau of Farmland Preservation’s website.
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21 de abril de 2011
Harrisburg, 21 de abril 2011 - El senador estatal Judy Schwank anunció hoy que un adicional de 158 acres de tierras agrícolas del condado de Berks serán preservados a través de la compra de servidumbres de conservación por valor de $ 394,000. La financiación fue aprobada hoy por la Junta de Preservación de Tierras Agrícolas de Pensilvania.
"Estos fondos son un importante salvavidas para muchas explotaciones familiares de Pensilvania", declaró Schwank. "Al preservar estas tierras de cultivo, estas familias podrán seguir construyendo sobre el éxito de sus esfuerzos agrícolas".
Según el senador Schwank, miembro de la Junta de Preservación, se preservarán las siguientes granjas:
- El Hogar Infantil Bethany del municipio de Heidelberg conservará 113,5 acres de tierras de labranza.
- Terry y Sue Kunkel, del municipio de Albany, conservarán 44,1 acres de tierras de labranza.
El senador Schwank añadió que, en el condado de Berks, se han preservado 627 explotaciones agrícolas que suman 63.716 acres. Berks ha preservado más acres de tierras de cultivo que cualquier otro condado en el programa estatal.
"En el condado de Berks se cultiva una gran variedad de productos agrícolas y la agroindustria es un motor económico y de empleo en la región", declaró Schwank. "Las servidumbres de conservación son inversiones que garantizan que las explotaciones agrícolas de la zona sigan prosperando".
La Junta de Preservación de Tierras Agrícolas tiene por objeto preservar permanentemente grandes grupos de tierras agrícolas viables mediante la adquisición de servidumbres agrícolas de conservación (ACE).
Una ACE impide el desarrollo de la tierra para cualquier fin que no sea la agricultura productiva. Desde el inicio del programa se han conservado 4.157 explotaciones agrícolas en todo el estado, con un total de 450.525 acres.
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