—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 18,1978
20
YORK - John T. Smith,
York County Extension
director on The Penn
sylvania State University
staff, has been named
recipient of the first Penn
sylvania Cooperative Ex
tension Service Award.
Smith received the award
October 30 during
ceremonies on the Penn
State University Park
Campus. It is based on
outstanding educational
programming at the county
or state level.
In presenting the plaque,
Dr. Thomas B. King, Penn
State associate dean for
Extension, said that Smith’s
efforts in determining the
site for a sanitary landfill in
York County were in
strumental in establishing a
unique system of land rental
proven successful for both
farm landowners and the
solid waste authority.
“When York County
recognized the need for a
sanitary landfill, even before
it was required by law, the
public reaction to the
proposal was in
flammatory,” Dr. King
noted. “No township was
willing to allow the landfill to
be built within its boun
daries. Some townships
even passed ordinances
against it.”
Heated public meetings
were held throughout the
area, but Smith didn’t attend
any of them or take sides.
His proximity to the
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Landfill solution wins
award for John Smith
John Smith
authority officials and his
frequent farm visits to
potential condemned sites
made it possible for him to
understand the positions of
both groups.
The agent, whose long
time Extension career has
earned him the respect of the
community, discussed the
issues with both sides. He
approached the subject
informally after dealing with
other issues. Once he
become convinced that the
one major reason farmers
opposed the land fill was the
fear of losing the land, he
came up with this novel
suggestion: instead of
acquiring the land through
purchase and after using it,
restore it so that it could be
farmed by its owners.
The proposal was ac
cepted. Rental is far
cheaper than purchase and
the land remains on the tax
rolls. Farmers whose land is
being rented receive an
annual rent and when the
land is completely filled, it is
returned to the farmer.
Today, the landfill is
operating below the amount
needed to meet expenses.
Citizens of the township
where the landfill is located
have noted an additional
benefit. The amount of litter
along roads and streams, in
woods and fields, long a
severe problem in the area,
has been minimized.
As Smith himself has said,
“Even though the com
munity is not happy with the
landfill, it seems to be much
more acceptable to them
because farmers still own
the land.”
“John Smith’s key role in
helping residents of York
County achieve a
satisfactory resolution to a
community problem, is
indicative of the type of work
Extension is commited to for
the welfare of Penn
sylvanians,” Dr. King
emphasized.
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