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Page 6 farmland preservation report July - Aug. 2003
<br />SURVEY, continued from page 3
<br />(News briefs... -
<br />Economy slows, development doesn't
<br />Counties in the survey, while feeling the effect of budget cuts to
<br />Pennsylvania ... Sandy
<br />state program dollars have not noted an slowdown in development
<br />p g � Y p
<br />Robison was named director of the
<br />R
<br />activity. Montgomery County's John Zawitoski said the county's
<br />Bureau of Farmland Protection,
<br />transfer tax dollars showed an increase of $600,000 in FY 03 over
<br />effective July 14. Robison replaces
<br />FY 02. Asked by the state to provide a statement on the need for .
<br />Mary Bender, who was appointed to
<br />another position by Gov. Ed
<br />expending a Rural Legacy award already granted to the county,
<br />Rendell. Robison has been with the
<br />Zawitoski noted the pace of development "is not impacted by the
<br />Bureau for five years, and served as
<br />economy. If we don't do it now, the threat is. there, and it will be
<br />administrator of the York County Ag
<br />Preserve Board in its early years as
<br />more expensive later."
<br />well as chairman of the board in
<br />In Harford County, a local real estate transfer tax brought in
<br />1989. She also served as interim
<br />extra revenues as well - enough to run two cycles of easement offers
<br />Y
<br />director following the departure of
<br />former director Ray Pickering.
<br />instead of one, according to administrator Bill Amoss. The county's
<br />Robison said she looks forward to
<br />own installment purchase program has logged close to 20,000 acres,
<br />the work of preservation. "I have
<br />twice as many as are protected under the state program in Harford.
<br />such a passion for this. You go home and feel very proud. Its a
<br />Berks County moved from 10th place to 8th in the ranking, with
<br />wonderful feeling.",. Robison re-
<br />an impressive 5,000 -plus acre gain for a total of 35,792 acres. The
<br />ported latest program figures as
<br />county also has impressive funding - $9 million available for the
<br />2,195 farms and 257,986 acres preserved. The latest added acres
<br />upcoming year, among the deepest pockets in the ranking.
<br />are approved and moving toward
<br />Berks first entered the FPR ranking n Jul 2000•in •12th, lace
<br />g Y.. .. , . , p. ,, -•' J.
<br />settlement generally within 45 days.
<br />:
<br />.. .
<br />with 15,545 ag program acres. It logged 5,676. acres by July 2001,
<br />HB 671 Which would allow
<br />counties to reduce farm size
<br />and another 6,779 acres by July 2002.
<br />eligibility from 50 to 25 acres
<br />After a $30 million bond issue, the Berks program attracted 213
<br />passed the House 96 -0, and is in
<br />the Senate Agriculture Committee.
<br />applicants in 2000.
<br />HB 668, to make the Growing
<br />Berks' expenditures are helped by a good number of municipali-
<br />Greener funding source permanent
<br />ties that have enacted agricultural protection zoning, some with
<br />for farmland preservation, is still on
<br />sliding scale generally providing a 1:20 density, and others with 40-
<br />the table in the House; Rep. Bunts is seeking to add the language as
<br />or 50 -acre minimum lot size, according to county planner Cheryl
<br />an amendment to another funding
<br />Auchenbach. Some townships are even doing joint comprehensive
<br />bill, HB 501; still on the table in the
<br />House are two farmland preserva-
<br />plans and joint zoning.
<br />lion bond bills, HB 667 and HB 814,
<br />calling for $150 million and $200
<br />million respectively.
<br />REALLOCATED FUNDS, continued from page I
<br />In Maryland ... Rural Legacy
<br />because of eligibility problems , including lack of matching funds and
<br />grant proposals have only entered
<br />agency review, according to
<br />lands submitted as projects found to be publicly owned.
<br />program director Pam Bush. She
<br />"Most had an indication they had solid proposals. We based our
<br />said turnover in administration and
<br />-
<br />awards on estimates made in November. By April some of the deals,
<br />on the Rural Legacy Board has
<br />delayed the awards process this
<br />or, expected matching funds didn't come through," Coleman said.
<br />year. Awards have usually been
<br />Coleman said the funds would be reallocated across the board.
<br />announced in early summer. Just
<br />'04,
<br />"Most states will get some money," she said.
<br />$5 million is budgeted for down
<br />from $21.3 million in '03.
<br />Coleman said the program recently published a manual, available
<br />The Maryland Environmental
<br />at the NRCS website, for using the FRPP. Final rules were published
<br />Trust this fall will celebrate 100,000
<br />acres under easement
<br />in May.
<br />In New Jersey ... After a long
<br />Contact: Denise Coleman, 202 720 -9476.
<br />delay, the legislature passed its
<br />
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