To the Editor:

In recent conversations, it appears to me the general public has little understanding of the Lehigh County Farmland Preservation Program. I feel a need to give a brief summary of the program.

The Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program was approved in 1988. The program provides funding from the state and county to purchase agricultural conservation easements, also known as the purchase of development rights.

In 2020, Lehigh County expects to reach a milestone of preserving 25,000 acres.

Under the program, a farmland owner can volunteer to sell their development rights. Development rights are the value in the land for non-agricultural use. A farmland owner who chooses to sell their development rights will continue to own the land, continue to farm the land and continue to pay property tax on the land. The only change is the owner cannot develop the land for houses or non-agricultural use.

In some municipalities, the value of development rights exceeds the county’s payment limits. This is the situation in Lower Macungie Township.

Township officials, understanding the importance of farmland preservation, have been providing additional funding to preserve farmland within the township.

In the case of my farm, the Lower Macungie Township did not purchase my farm as reported in the East Penn Press on Aug. 19, 2020. The township, in cooperation with the Lehigh County Farmland Preservation Program, are in the process of purchasing my development rights. While the details are a little complicated, the end result is that I will own a preserved farm.

To learn more about farmland preservation, visit the Lehigh County Farmland Preservation website.

Mark Lichtenwalner

Macungie