April 17, 2025
Land and open space preservation programs offer many benefits and are proven to help keep property taxes down. Upper Allen Township can and should have its own preservation program. This post explains how a program can be started using existing funding without raising taxes.
Land preservation typically involves the municipality purchasing an easement on a property with the landowner retaining ownership. The owner sells development rights vs. selling the property outright. The property remains on the tax rolls and the owner is free to sell it – but it can’t be developed.
The advantages to municipalities include better balance of preservation vs. development and avoiding future costs of maintaining more infrastructure. With new development, the township takes on future costs and liability each time a new street, sewer, etc. is dedicated. Land preservation avoids these future costs.
There are presently 405 acres in Upper Allen that have been (permanently) preserved through the County’s “Ag Conservation Easement” (ACE) program. These farms are concentrated in the North East part of the Township along Williams Grove Rd., West Winding Hill Rd. and South York St. Special thanks to the Strock, Rupert, Yorlets and Paulus families for preserving their farms!
In addition, there are 498 acres in “Ag Security Areas” (ASA). ASA is a pre-requisite for entering the ACE program; however, not all owners are interested in ACE and not all farms will qualify. There is a 52 acre minimum. County funds are limited, and there is competition through a ranking process. See Map above.
It is important to note that farms in ASA are not permanently preserved and can be taken out of the program as recently happened with the Lambert Farm on McCormick Rd.
Per the property tax mapper, there are 534 acres of additional farm or non-commercial parcels greater than 50 acres in Upper Allen. Another 453 acres can be added if parcels between 10-50 acres are considered. Total additional land that could possibly be preserved in Upper Allen is about 1,500 acres. Here is a summary:
Most of the land preservation programs in Pennsylvania started in the South Eastern Counties such as Bucks, Chester and Northampton. They are widely popular. Some Bucks County Townships with more aggressive programs, such as Upper Makefield, have actually rolled back their tax millage in recent years.
Most programs have been established through public referendum and funded with property taxes, earned income tax (EIT), or bond issues. However, there are other ways to preserve land that don’t require a referendum. There are also potential partnerships with groups such as Natural Lands, Lancaster Farmland Trust, etc.
Silver Spring Township started its own program in 2013 (by referendum) and is now on tract to preserve over 1,500 acres. The SST program includes open space in addition to farmland. There is a 10 acre minimum and they work with the County on larger parcels. Silver Spring is understood to pay about $2,500 an acre for easements on top of what the County pays (appx. $4,500 acre).
The Silver Spring program is funded with .10% from the earned income tax. The overall Silver Spring EIT rate is the same as Upper Allen; i.e., 1.70%. Current Silver Spring property taxes are 1.30 mills vs. Upper Allen at 2.75 mills.
Population density is 567 per square mile in Silver Spring vs. 1,502 per square mile in Upper Allen.
Land preservation should be considered in conjunction with parks. Note the title of the 2016 UAT Master Plan: “Upper Allen Township Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan”. We are lacking the open space component.
UAT now has about 236 acres of park land and the 2025 budget calls for park spending (all funds) of $2,766,510. At nearly 10% of the overall budget, Upper Allen park spending is high compared to most other area municipalities.
With the completion of Winding Hills Park – and by keeping Generations Park passive, Upper Allen can begin shifting park funds to land and open space preservation.
The .2 mill levy for park development (which generates appx. $460,000 per year) is an example of one tax/fund that could shifted to land and open space preservation. This tax appears on tax bills as part of the .8 mill “PRM/RECIMP”. It could potentially help preserve 200 acres a year by offering a $2,500 acre supplement to the County ACE program. 200 acres is nearly as much acreage as the entire UAT Park system.
Having a program will create awareness amongst Upper Allen landowners that residents value land preservation and there is an alternative to selling out to developers.
Silver Spring Township created a Land Preservation Board to help administer its program. Upper Allen could create a similar volunteer Board or an Environmental Advisory Council to address broader open space issues such as trails and greenways.
The Heritage Conservancy/DCNR Implementation Guide provides a wealth of “how to” information and highlights the need for public input and participation. This quote appears on page 20:
“The past is gone; the present is fleeting, the future is all we have”
.
Here are some links to further information:
Implementation Guide and We Conserve PA
.
Cumberland County Information, Guides and Forms:
Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program | Cumberland County, PA – Official Website
Easement Purchase | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
.
Silver Spring Township Information, Guides and Forms:
Land Preservation Review Board | Silver Spring Township, PA – Official Website
https://www.sstwp.org/DocumentCenter/View/10737/Land-Preservation-Questions-and-Answers?bidId=
.
Model PA Land Preservation Communities:
Land Preservation Story | Solebury PA
Home Page Upper Makefield Township Bucks County PA
Open Space Plan and Land Preservation in Upper Makefield Township
.
Possible Land Trust Partners:
Natural Lands | Land for Life. Nature for All.
Lancaster Farmland Trust – Save the Lancaster You Love
.
Referendum Results:
Save Upper Allen 