Five Lehigh Valley farms saved from development

Five Lehigh Valley farms, totaling 312 acres, will be preserved under a state investment program that protects them from future residential or commercial development.

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office recently announced that more than 2,500 acres on 30 farms in 21 counties were part of an $8.7 million investment in state, county and local funds.

Pennsylvania partners with county and local governments and nonprofits to buy development rights so farm owners ensure their farms will remain farms and never be sold to developers.

Lehigh County Commissioner Ron W. Beitler, who has been an advocate for land preservation as a citizen, then as a member of the Lower Macungie Township Board of Commissioners, said it’s important to get the farmland under the program before developers come in.

“I think it’s critical and it’s time sensitive,” Beitler said. “This is a program that very much competes in the open market. These farmers agree to do this. Land values and Lehigh County are only going higher. So the more that we get sooner the better.

“Eventually the acquisition period is going to wind down because development is going to get all theirs and preservation is going to get all theirs, but the program is not going to go away because these farms are preserved forever,” he said. “The county is always going to have a role of monitoring these easements and making sure that farmers are agreeing to the covenants.”

Lehigh County ranks fourth statewide in the number of farms preserved and is fifth in total acreage, Beitler said. He said he expects the 400th farm in the county to be preserved this spring.

According to Lehigh County’s website, 397 farms covering more than 27,600 acres have been preserved. The county has allocated $1 million per year for the purchase of development rights and is looking to keep that amount through 2026.

Northampton County has a similar program. According to its website, through May 2023, it has preserved 251 farms covering more than 19,000 acres since 1989.

For this round, Lehigh County had an investment of $1.47 million, including $1.17 million from the state, $206,019 from the county and $89,963 from Upper Milford Township for a single farm. They included:

Russell E. and Susan L. Foster;s 130-acre crop farm in Weisenberg Township.

Stanley A. and Carol A. George’s 64-acre crop farm in Weisenberg Township.

Donald A. Haas;s 55-acre crop farm in Lowhill Township.

Leslie H. Nonnemacher’s 21-acre crop farm in Upper Milford Township.

Northampton County had an investment of $317,682 from the state. It was for the 42-acre crop farm owned by Stacey and Clayton Stine III in Upper Mount Bethel Township.

“It is crucial that we protect our precious farmland,” said state Rep. Milou Mackenzie, whose district includes Upper Milford. “Critical investments like this help ensure Pennsylvania families will have green spaces and healthy farmland available to produce food, create jobs and provide income for future generations.”

Since 1988, Pennsylvania has protected 6,314 farms and 632,856 acres in 58 counties from development, investing nearly $1.68 billion in state, county, and local funds.

Outside of the Lehigh Valley, farmland was also preserved in Adams, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Chester, Erie, Franklin, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montgomery, Union, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York counties.

Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.