A32—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Nay 12,1984
1.7 million Clean/Green acres reported
HARRISBURG - Statewide
participation in the Clean and
Green Act, which was created to
help preserve the state’s farmland,
forest land and and open space,
continued to grow in 1983, ac
cording to State Agriculture
Secretary Penrose Hallowell.
Results from the annual sum
mary of participation in the act
reveal that 1,721,138 acres in 34
counties ’ were enrolled by lan
downers in 1963, reflecting a 13
percent or 204,508 acre increase
over the previous year. The
number of landowners par
ticipating rose by 12 percent to
21,246 during the period. The
statewide average for each lan
downer was 81 acres.
The Clean and Green Act
became law in 1974 after Penn
sylvanians voted for a con
stitutional amendment permitting
preferential assessment of far
mlands and forest lands. Under the
act, enrolled land is assessed for
tax purposes according to its farm
value rather than its market value
for development purposes.
Bradford County reported the
largest acreage enrolled with
400,000 acres entered by 4,500
participants. Washington County
reported the greatest owner
participation with 4,927. McKean
County had the second highest
acreage enrollment of 291,982
acres by 760 participants and
Huntingdon County was third with
221,295 acres entered by 1,558
participants.
Lancaster County reported the
least number of participants and
acreage enrolled with two and 24
respectively, unchanged from 1982
statistics. Delaware County, in its
second year of participation,
reported the second lowest
acreage of 148, entered by two
participants.
Among the counties par
ticipating, the percent reduction in
dollar value per acre ranged from
0 to 97 percent. The average
reduction was 54 percent, based
upon figures from 23 counties. This
average is not weighted to account
for greater participation in
counties, and no correlation bet
ween the percentage of reduction
and participation in the program
can be drawn.
In 1983, survey forms were sent
to 66 counties, and all counties
responded. Under regulations
adopted by the Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture in 1980,
county assessors are required to
submit information regarding
participation in Act 319 each year.
The information is subsequently
compiled into a summarized
report.
The report, compiled by the
Department’s Office of Planning
HARRISBURG - State
Agriculture Secretary Penrose
Hallowell has announced he has
agreed to call a referendum on a
proposal to initiate a Pennsylvania
peach and nectarine research
program. The program would
raise funds to provide production
and marketing research for
peaches and nectarines in Penn
sylvania.
The referendum, requested by
growers, would involve farmers
who have 500 or more peach and/or
nectarine trees of all ages. They
and Research, is not intended to
analyze the effectiveness of the
Clean and Green, nor its ad
ministration by the counties, but to
provide up-to-date information on
participation.
Peach referendum slated
will vote whether to assess
themselves three dollars per acre
for all their peach and/or nec
tarine acreage, with the money
going to fund long range research
projects in these commodities.
Voting will take place between
May 14 and May 25. If passed by a
majority of growers and
representing a majority of ‘
production, the program will go
into effect July 1 and will cover the
1984 crop.
The referendum is estimated to
involve about 300 growers who
have 500 or more peach and/or
Single copies of the report are
available from the Office of
Planning and Research, Penn
sylvania Department of
Agriculture, 2301 North Cameron
Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110.
nectarine trees, and may raise
about $25,000 annually.
The program would be ad
ministered by an advisory board of
nine growers appointed by the
Secretary from nominations made
by affected growers. The board
represents the growers propor
tionately from three major
production areas of Pennsylvania;
eastern, central and western.
Hallowell conducted a public
hearing on the proposed peach and
nectarine program on April 25 to
receive testimony from growers
throughout the state.