A3O lawcwtf Fairing, Saturday, February 16, IMS
LANCASTER - On Wednesday
evening, February 20, a public
hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. at
the Conestoga Fire Hall. The
hearing is sponsored by the
Lancaster County Agricultural
Preserve Board and is intended to
hear public comments about the
establishment of an Agricultural
Preserve in northern Conestoga
Township.
Preserving the most productive
of our agricultural land resources
is one of the most importnat issues
in Lancaster County’s future.
Lancaster County’s production
tops all non-irrigated counties in
the nation. Indeed, our local
production exceeds that of 15
State Senate Ag Committee
backs two farm measures
HARRISBURG - The Senate
Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Committee unanimously voted to
report two pieces of legislation
affecting the agricultural com
munity of Pennsylvania during a
meeting held here today, reports
Sen. Edward W. Helfnck, chair
man.
In their first official action of the
new legislative session, the
Committee favorable released a
resolution which will
‘ memorialize the governor to
proclaim March 20, 1985 as Penn
sylvamc Agriculture Day,” says
Helfnck, who sponsored the
legislation. “This proclamation
coincides with the national
celebration of Agriculture Day. We
hope farmers and non-farmers
alike are made more aware of the
importance of our state’s number
one industry through observances
of this kind.”
Another Helfnck-sponsored bill,
Senate Bill 310, also moves one
step further to becoming law. This
legislation creates an Agricultural
Product Development Commission
which is designed to channel public
and private funds into efforts to
expand the state’s existing
agribusiness, explains Helfnck.
“It is more important than ever
to keep Pennsylvania-grown and
processed foods out in front of the
competition,” declares Helfnck.
“My bill also is designed to help
promote our state’s image as an
agricultural keystone, supporting
the nation’s farm industry, along
with being a top manufacturing
state.”
Senate Bill 310 provides for an
initial $lOO,OOO appropriation to be
used in establishing the Com
mission. The members of the
Commission include ten ap
pointments made by the governor.
These ten will be selected from a
list of persons suggested by
statewide farm organizations,
commodity groups and food
processors, plus non-agncultural
groups. Also serving on the
Commission will be the Secretary
of Agriculture and the minority
and majority chairmen of the
House and Senate Agriculture and
Rural Affairs Committees.
Members will serve for non
consecutive three-year terms.
“The Commission will be
authorized to expend monies to
conduct research and promotional
activities,” says Helfrick. “These
funds can be from federal, state or
private resources with which the
Commission establishes a con
tractual agreement for conducting
this work.
“I expect to see both of these
pieces of legislation move quickly
through the Senate, and I have
received indications from fellow
legislators in the House of
Representatives that swift passage
is likely on that side of the General
Assembly,” comments Helfrick.
Cosponsoring Senate Bill 310
are: Sen. Noah Wenger, vice
chairman of the Senate
Public hearing for
different states in the nation, me
scenic, productive and cultural
qualities of our farming landscape
are unique and unsurpassed.
Lancaster County is a very
desirable place, so we continue to
grow in population and to chip
away at our most valuable
resource at a rate of several
thousand acres every year.
In 1975 Lancaster County
adopted Directions: A Com
prehensive Plan for Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania in which
more than 100,000 acres are
planned for future growth and
development and 278,000 acres of
the, best farmland outside of
planned growth areas are planned
Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Committee; Sen. Patrick
Stapleton, minority chairman; and
fellow senators Mark Smgel, John
Shumaker, James Ross, James
Rhoades, John Peterson, Roy Wilt,
Jeannette Reibman, David
Bnghtbill, Craig Lewis, Doyle
Conestoga Ag Preserve scheduled
for coutinued agricultural use.
Conestoga Township took a step
towards preserving farmland in
1980 by adopting protective
agricultural zoning which does not
permit extensive non-agricultural
development. To date 24 of the 41
townships in Lancaster County
have adopted similar “effective”
agricultural zoning.
Toward strengthening the
resolve and commitment to far
mland preservation, the Lancaster
County Agricultural Preserve
Board has identified and proposed
an AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE
in the northern part of the
Conestoga Township.
The area is more than 1,900 acres
Corman, and Roger Madigan.
Senate Resolution 9, the Penn
sylvania Agriculture Day
legislation, is cosponsored by Sens.
Noah Wenger, Patrick Stapleton,
James Ross, Tim Shaffer, Michael
O’Pake, James Rhoades, Roger
Madigan and Roy Wilt.
MILK HER
FOR ALL SHE’S
of very productive farmland where
soils are predominate Class I, II
and 111 under USDA productive
capability classifications and
where land is both planned and
effectively zoned for agriculture.
The effects of establishment of
the proposed Conestoga
AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE by
Lancaster County will be:
- A new policy area in which
normal agricultural activities are
given added protection and in
sulation from nuisance complaints
and suits.
- A new policy which will
discourage and steer away or
prohibit new unplanned highways,
public facilities and public land
acquisition from occunng in the
Preserve
- Priority and eligibility for
qualified farm owners in the
Preserve to voluntarily participate
in Lancaster County’s preser
vation deed restriction program
including deed restriction donation
or sale, right of first refusal
agreements and possible last
resort purchase-preservation and
resale of farms faced with con
version to other uses.
The Agricultural Preserve is
intended to be a means toward
saving farmland from conflicting
development, to result in a more
permanent agricultural resource
and to target preservation benefits
to those areas most important to
the future of agriculture, and to
exclude those areas necessary and
planned for future growth.
Landowners will have a new set
of options including voluntary deed
restriction donation with
significant tax benefits or the
possibility of compensation
through an incentive deed
restriction sale on a voluntary
basis.
The Preserve will be a targeted
priority area for farmland
preservation in Lancaster County.
Landowners and interested
citizens are invited on the evening
of February 20th, to receive more
detailed information and to offer
comments and pose questions
about the proposed Conestoga
Agricultural Preserve.
The Township has endorsed the
concept and the Lancaster County
Agricultural Preserve Board looks
forward to a great deal of interest
and participation in the public
hearing.
Prior to or following the public
hearing, the Agricultural Preserve
Board can be contacted at 50 North
Duke Street, P.O. Box 3480,
Lancaster, PA 17603, or by phone
at 299-8355.