| "Sprawl doesn't continue into those areas that have been preserved. It provides a growth boundary of sorts." | |
| David Skellie, Erie County Department of Planning |
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A Pennsylvania coastal county participating in a program to protect farmland has an advantage over other counties in the state. Erie County is using coastal zone management (CZM) money to augment its agricultural conservation easement purchasing program.
"This federal money is used locally as a match to leverage additional state money so we can buy more development rights," says David Skellie, director of the Erie County Department of Planning.
"It's a good use of CZM money," notes Jim Tabor, manager of the Pennsylvania CZM program. "This is important seed money that we can provide."
In 1989, Pennsylvania implemented its Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Program to stop the rapid loss of farmland. Under the program, the government or a conservation organization buys the development rights to high-quality farmland, keeping the agricultural use of the land viable for future generations.
In 1992, Erie County, which is located on the Lake Erie coastline, signed on to participate in the program. It is now one of 51 counties administering the state's easement program.
"Protecting or preserving farmland provides an economic benefit to the county in a couple of ways," Skellie explains. "One is that Erie County still does have a substantial farm economy, and second is that by buying development rights, we help shore up the urban centers of the county. Sprawl doesn't continue into those areas that have been preserved. It provides a growth boundary of sorts."
An agricultural easement is a voluntary agreement between a landowner and the county that limits land use to agricultural production, Skellie says. Private ownership of the land is retained, and current or future owners can continue to farm and sell the property. The agricultural easement is purchased in perpetuity and is binding on all future landowners.
An independent appraiser determines the value of the easement, and the landowner and county mutually agree upon the purchase price. "We look at the value of the property as farmland versus a full buildout, generally a subdivision. The difference in value is what we're purchasing," Skellie says. The average price is about $1,900 an acre.
The county receives a base allocation from the state of about $700,000 for the program. With the CZM and county match, that number jumps to over $1 million a year to purchase the agricultural easements. The county also has set up a nonprofit fund that allows individuals to donate to the program.
The Erie County program has grown from 5 applications the first year to an anticipated 30 to 40 applications for 2003 funds. Applications are now accepted about every three years, and are ranked based on soil quality, and development, farmland, and clustering potential, Skellie says. The county then tries to purchase as many of the easements over the next three years as possible, averaging five to six easement purchases a year.
"We may be unique in the country in using CZM funds to leverage additional state funds to preserve farmland by buying conservation easements," Skellie says. "We now have the wherewithal to preserve our rural agricultural economy and to preserve the quality of life that people like about Erie County."
For more information about Erie County's participation in the Pennsylvania Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, point your browser to www.eriecountyplanning.org. You may also contact David Skellie at (814) 451-6336 or dskellie@erie.net.
