Butler County is one of 57 Pennsylvania counties entered in the Farmland Preservation Program. There are now 48 farms enrolled here.

The state agricultural land preservation board established minimum requirements that must be met to qualify. The land is evaluated based upon the following:

• It must be included as part of a duly recorded agricultural security area in a township

• It must have at least 50 percent of its soil available for agricultural production that are Capability Classes I-IV, as defined by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA

• It must contain at least 50 percent or have 10 acres of harvested cropland, pasture or grazing land

• Be at least 50 contiguous acres unless the tract is at least 10 acres and either utilized for a crop unique to the area or is contiguous to a property that has a perpetual easement in place

• Development pressure in the area is considered as is the sustainability of the tract. Any pre-existing perpetual restrictions against development are a factor

• It is located in an area identified by the county or township comprehensive plan as desirable for agricultural use

• The applicant’s stewardship of the land. A conservation plan is being followed by the applicant

• The applicant must submit an entire parcel as identified on the Butler County tax assessment maps. After submission, the application will be checked to make sure minimum requirements have been met and scored using the county land evaluation assessment system.

The system ranks by evaluating soil and location factors. The land evaluation is 50 percent and site assessment is 50 percent of the total score.

In this way the farms are ranked by quality of soil, development of farmland and clustering potential.

After applications are ranked each February, the top farms are appraised. The farmer must deposit $1,800 for the appraisal. The deposit will be refunded if the applicant does not sever the contract of sale and accepts an offer equal to the appraised value of the conservation easement on the property.

The appraisal report provides the county agricultural land preservation board with an estimate of the value of the easement, which is the difference between the market value and the farmland value. A survey will be completed when the landowner accepts the county agriculture preservation board’s offer.

Interested landowners have until Jan. 31 to submit applications. All applicants must sign up again this year, even if they submitted an application last year.

Contact the county conservation office for more information at 724-284-5270.

Ron Fodor is manager of the Butler County Conservation District.