Farmlands

picture of farmland Farming is a major industry within the study area and as a result, each of the four alignmentsbeing carried through Phase 2- detailed studies will impact some farming operations.

Over the past 20 years, state and federal laws have been enacted to protect farmlands from conversion to non-agricultural use. Some laws provide incentives to land owners to maintain land in agricultural use. Other laws direct agencies to identify and take into account the adverse effects on productive and primary farmlands and to consider alternative actions that could lessen adverse affects. The farmland investigation for the U.S. 219 Improvements Project is being conducted in accordance with the following federal and state legislation and policies:

Federal Farmland Protection Policy Act of 1981 (FPPA);
PA Act 100 of 1979, The Administrative Code of 1929;
PA Act 43 of 1981, The Agricultural Security Area Law;
4 PA Code Chapter 7, Section 7.301 et seq. Agricultural Land Preservation Policy (ALPP);
PA Act 515 of 1966 (Covenant for Preservation); and
PA Act 319 of 1974 (Farmland and Forest Land Assessment Acts).

PENNDOT personnel as well as G&O Environmental Scientists conducted one on one farmlands interviews with owners and/or operators of farming operations that may be impacted by one or more of the proposed alignments within the study area. Initial interviews were conducted in the spring of 2002, and follow-up interviews have been conducted as necessary to keep operational and ownership information current. Information obtained through these interviews included:

amount of land in agricultural use;
types of operations (crops, livestock);
description of access to fields and other properties;
participation of the operation in an Agricultural Security Area (ASA), the Clean and Green Program, the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), or the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and other commodity support programs and special tax programs;
length of time in operation; and
identification of primary water sources.

picture of farmland The data obtained through the interviews is being analyzed and incorporated into a Farmlands Assessment Report (FAR) which should be completed during Summer 2005.

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Farmlands