B17
Farmland Preservation in the Mid-Atlantic for Large Landscape Conservation
Farmland Preservation in the Mid-Atlantic for Large Landscape Conservation
Thursday, October 23, 2014: 1:25 PM-2:55 PM
Horizon A (Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center)
In October, 2013, Lancaster County, PA became the first county in the United States to preserve 100,000 acres of farmland. Lancaster County has more than 500,000 people and thus it is a metropolitan county; but it is also the leading agriultural county in the Northeast with more than $1 billion a year in farm output.
This paper explains the planning and funding techniques that led to Lancaster County's landscape scale preservation. The planning features the combination of comprehensive plans, urban growth boundaries, agricultural zoning, and the strategic purchase of development rights, along with a public-private partnership between the county Agricultural Preserve Board and the Lancaster Farmland Trust.
The funding includes state and federal matching funds, county bonds, local government contributions, and private sector sources.
Session Chair:
Tom Daniels
1:45 PM
2:25 PM
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