Bucks County is taking a major step toward farmland conservation with a new initiative to provide municipalities greater access to state preservation funding.
This effort aims to accelerate the county’s Agricultural Land Preservation Program, making it more flexible and effective than ever since its inception in 1989.
The Bucks County Commissioners recently approved an annual $2 million allocation to match state funding.
After opting into the program, municipalities gain a share of state resources, which allows them to safeguard more farmland within their borders.
The initiative also introduces a long-overdue change: farmers seeking to preserve their land will no longer be bound strictly by their placement on the existing ranked waitlist.
Some applicants had been waiting for approval since the early 2000s. Now, the program can process eligible applicants more dynamically, making preservation opportunities available to more landowners.
Bedminster Township is the first municipality to sign up for the initiative, demonstrating early support for this fresh approach to conservation.
Bucks County currently has a ranked list of 42 farms covering about 1,300 acres.
Historically, the program managed to preserve roughly 300 acres annually, equating to about five farms per year.
With the revised process, those numbers are expected to increase significantly.
Since its founding, the Bucks County Agricultural Preservation Program has successfully protected 247 farms spanning 18,948 acres, backed by nearly $191 million in total funding.
The program operates under Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture guidelines, utilizing a combination of state, county, and local funds to purchase conservation easements.
The protected farms remain privately owned, with landowners voluntarily agreeing to conservation restrictions that prevent future development.
This growing focus on preservation ties into a larger statewide effort led by Governor Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture,
Pennsylvania has long led the way in farmland preservation, and recent investments in agriculture are keeping that momentum going, supporting sustainable farming, economic growth, and land conservation.
The $10 million Agriculture Innovation Grant Program, for instance, is encouraging farmers to adopt new technologies, conservation methods, and renewable energy solutions.
Additionally, Pennsylvania’s Fresh Food Financing Initiative and Farm Vitality Planning Grants are providing critical financial support to farmers.
Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Pennsylvania’s economy, supporting over 600,000 jobs and generating $132 billion annually.
Thus, programs such as Bucks County’s farmland preservation initiative keep prime farmland from being swallowed by development, helping farmers stay in business, and the region holds onto its rural roots.
The success of Bucks County farmland efforts shows the necessity of preservation measures in sustaining the local agricultural economy.
As Bucks County rolls out this program, the hope is that more municipalities will opt-in and take advantage of state resources to protect valuable farmland.
The increased flexibility in processing applications and direct funding support for local governments are expected to preserve more land faster than ever before.
Bucks County politics may be ever-changing, but preserving farmland remains a rare bipartisan priority in the region.
