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State Commits to Preserve 4,357 Acres of Farmland

HARRISBURG, PA-The farmland preservation board adds 37 farms across 18 counties to the state's Farmland Preservation Program, which falls under the Growing Greener II initiative signed by Gov. Ed Rendell in July.

By Marita Thomas | Updated on September 02, 2005

HARRISBURG, PA-Under the commonwealth’s Growing Greener II initiative, the farmland preservation board has added 37 farms aggregating 4,357 acres in 18 counties to the Farmland Preservation Program. Voters approved a $625-million bond issue for Growing Greener II and Gov. Ed Rendell signed the program into law this July. It provides $80 million for farmland preservation over six years and is designed to preserve 2,000 farms from development.

“Increasingly, Pennsylvania has encountered new development pressures resulting in higher land values and enticing many farmers to sell their acreage,” says Dennis Wolff, agriculture secretary. “We must not forget that, while we are able to preserve 60 acres a day, we also lose 300 to development at the same rate. Unfortunately, once these lands are converted for residential or commercial uses, they cannot be reclaimed for agriculture.”

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