Farmland easement applications being accepted
The Greene County Farmland Preservation Board is accepting applications from qualifying landowners for the agricultural conservation easement program.
The easement is an interest in land, which represents the right to prevent development or improvement of a parcel for any purpose other than agricultural production. It may be granted by a farmland owner to the state, a county agricultural land preservation program, a local government unit or a local land trust.
Easements may be sold or donated with the restrictions recorded in the recorder of deeds office in the county where the easement is located.
Eligibility requirements include: enrollment in an approved agricultural security area consisting of at least 500 acres; having at least 50 contiguous acres; availability for agricultural production; containing greater than 50% or at least 10 acres of harvested cropland, pasture or grazing land. Additionally, the landowner has to provide ownership verification to surface mineral rights on the parcel being considered.
The eight townships that participate in the program are Center, Cumberland, Franklin, Greene, Jefferson, Morgan, Washington and Wayne.
The deadline to apply is June 1. For more information on the program, contact the Greene County Conservation District office at 724-852-5278 or gccd@co.greene.pa.us.