Land Preservation
There are two ways to preserve land in Moore Township.
1. The Farmland Preservation program administered by the county using state, county, and township funds designated for farmland preservation. If the farmland does not meet county and state requirements, it can be preserved through the township.
2. The township's Open Space Preservation program for non-farmland handled directly by the Land and Environmental Protection Board.
Farmland Preservation and its importance to all residents of Moore Township
Farmland in Moore Township is a rapidly disappearing natural resource. Many farm owners in Moore Township have entered into the Farmland Preservation program to preserve their properties for future generations. It ensures a way of life for the farm family in addition to offering many benefits for the entire Moore Township community.
Farmland preservation is the voluntary selling of agricultural conservation easements. This prevents development of land and assures the land will only be used for agricultural purposes. Selling a conservation easement can permanently protect a family's farmland from being lost to future non-agricultural development.
What Farmland Preservation is not is the purchase of the land by the state, county, or township. It is only the purchase of the "development rights" which keeps the land from being developed. The farm can be sold at any time after preservation but only as a preserved farm, and it cannot be developed or improved for any purpose other than agricultural production.
Most property owners enter into the program to preserve their farms for future generations. Once again, it is important to note it is the purchase of conservation easements. The property owner retains full ownership of the land. The property owner can also choose to exclude certain areas of their property from the easement. The money received from the Farmland Preservation program will help them maintain and improve their farms keeping them a viable business operation. Preserved open space and farmland help maintain township services otherwise required by residential development to a minimum, thus keeping the township taxes to a minimum. It also ensures our local food supply, now and in the future, while supporting and promoting farm-related jobs.
The Land and Environmental Protection Board would like to thank the Moore Township community especially the farm families that have taken part in our Farmland Preservation Program.
Open Space Preservation and its importance to all the residents of Moore Township
Open Space Preservation is for properties that do not qualify under the Farmland Preservation program. Wooded areas, wetlands, pasture land, and meadows might fall into this group. This allows residents to protect property from future development, while retaining ownership of the land, and allows for a variety of rural activities.
Open Space Preservation is not the purchase of land by the state, county or township. It is only the purchase of the "development rights" which keeps the land from being developed. The property can be sold at any time after preservation as preserved open space, and it cannot be developed. Certain improvements can be allowed within narrow guidelines established when the property is preserved.
Once again, it is important to note the purchase is of the conservation easements. The property owner retains full ownership of the land. The property owner can also choose to exclude certain areas of their property from the easement.
History of the Program in Moore Township
In the past, Moore Township farms had been preserved through the Northampton County Farmland Preservation program. Taxpayers voted for a .25% Earned Income Tax increase that can only be used for land preservation. It took from January of 2005 until September of 2010 to complete all the requirements necessary to begin a farmland preservation partnership with Northampton County.
In December 2005, Moore Township created its Farmland Preservation Board. In 2018, the Land Preservation Board and Environmental Advisory Council merged to create the Land and Environmental Protection Board. Over the years, work completed by the board made it possible for Moore Township to partner with the Northampton County Farmland Preservation program and preserve more farmland than ever before.
Applications
If you are currently a land owner in Moore Township, and would like to learn more about the many benefits of preserving your land, please do not hesitate to call 610-759-9449, or click on the link above to download the form.
