Lehigh County farmland owners will have a second opportunity in 2016 to apply for participation in the county’s farmland preservation program. The program is accepting new applications until July 1. The application deadline has changed from March 31 to help facilitate farmland preservation funding partnerships with Lehigh County municipalities.

The county is developing a new partnership program in an effort to leverage county and commonwealth farmland preservation funding to preserve more farmland. This program will provide county matching funds to townships that offer their own farmland preservation match funding. The new summer application deadline will make it easier for townships to budget in the fall to assist with the preservation of farms in their townships.

Farmland owners who preserve their farms receive payment in return for giving up their development rights. The farms are protected in perpetuity with agricultural conservation easements.

Applicants’ farms are ranked and prioritized using a farmland evaluation system that takes many factors into consideration, including soil quality, farm size, land use, zoning and proximity to other preserved farms. Top ranked farms are selected for preservation.

To obtain an application form and more information on Lehigh County’s farmland preservation program, call Diane Matthews-Gehringer at 610-391-9583, ext. 14, or Jeff Zehr at 610-391-9583, ext. 15.