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WILKES-BARRE — John Wolk’s reason for preserving 212 acres of his family’s farm in Butler Township is simple.
It all stems from a love for the land.
That’s why Wolk, a co-owner of Wolk Tree Farm, LLC, has now preserved four farm properties in the southern part of the county under the Luzerne County Farmland Preservation Program. The transaction became official Thursday.
Under the program, farmers transfer the development rights, known as a conservation easement, for their land to the state in exchange for a per-acre payment from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Funding for the program comes from dedicated portions of cigarette tax proceeds and the Environmental Stewardship Fund.
While the land can never be developed, it can be used for agriculture and other related activities. The owner retains title to the land and may pass it on to family or sold, but not developed.
“Most farmers love their property and never want to see it developed,” Wolk said during Thursday’s closing at the Luzerne County Courthouse.
“We appreciate green space and this gives me peace of mind for my children and grandchildren.”
Since the program’s inception in 2000, the county has preserved nearly 2,900 acres of farmland on 29 farms, including 972 acres in Butler Township.
The program is administered by the Planning/Zoning Department of Luzerne County and there is discussion of partnering with the Luzerne Conservation District to share those duties, according to department director Jim Ferry.
Ferry commended Wolk and other farmers for participating in the program, considering the pressure to sell their land for development is increasing in parts of the county.
“Butler Township is a focal point for development in the Hazleton area. It offers an idyllic place for housing developments,” Ferry said. “We’re grateful to be able to preserve a lot of farmland in Butler Township and other places ripe for development.”
In order to qualify for the program, farms must consist of at least 50 acres (half of which must be used as farmland), the land must be located in an Agricultural Security Area, 50 percent of the soils must be in Class I-IV and the farm must have an active Conservation Plan. There is a waiting list of approximately 20 farms to be preserved, and properties are ranked based on proximity to other preserved farms, soil types and site assessment in regard to the land’s appeal to be used for development.
Since the state’s farmland preservation program began in 1988, federal, state, county and local governments have invested more than $1.3 billion to preserve 525,020 acres on 5,003 farms in 58 counties for future agricultural production. Pennsylvania leads the nation in total number of farms preserved, out-pacing Maryland and New Jersey which rank second and third.