SUMMARY

The Lancaster Farmland Trust applies GIS to defining urban boundaries that define urban areas from farmland, in order to target key lands in need of regulatory or acquisition protection.

THE STORY

Lancaster Farmland Trust is a private, non-profit organization working to preserve the rich and productive farmland of Lancaster County, to support good stewardship of the land, and to encourage a thriving agricultural economy, recognizing that our farm heritage enriches the lives of all citizens. 

Since its inception in 1988, the Trust has preserved 226 farms equaling nearly 14,000 acres of Lancaster County’s prime farmland.  In addition, the Lancaster County Agricultural Preserve Board (APB), which is the government funded farmland preservation program in Lancaster County, has preserved over 500 farms and over 45,000 acres since 1980.  While the Trust and the APB have preserved nearly 60,000 total acres, this represents only 15% of the total acres of farmland in Lancaster County - large areas of farmland remain under threat from development.

Over the past 25 years, Lancaster County has experienced significant development pressures due to population increase and economic prosperity.  While development can benefit local communities when properly structured, it can also negatively impact a community when allowed to sprawl without adequate planning.

In 1990, area officials recognized this growing land-use crisis: urban sprawl.  The Lancaster County Planning Commission started revising its land-use plans and began helping local communities and townships develop their own Urban Growth Areas (UGAs).  Essentially, UGAs are map lines that designate growth and development areas in conjunction with each town. Using 20-year population projections, planners recommend that land inside UGAs be zoned for continuing development, while land outside UGAs be reserved for agriculture.

Using UGAs to determine land use is controversial. However, the long-range planning offers important benefits to farmers and non-farmers alike. For instance, long-range planning helps keep tax rates in check by limiting the need for capital-intensive programs, such as the construction of new sewer and water lines. Furthermore, local officials can better project the need for other services, such as new schools and police and fire protection.

UGAs also work to separate farmland from more densely populated areas. Suburban residents often object to the machinery activity, noise, odor, dust, and chemicals that accompany active farming. With UGAs in place, farmers receive fewer complaints about their operations.

Because Lancaster Farmland Trust believes that farmland preservation should be part of a comprehensive planning process, the Trust does not typically preserve land within UGAs. Likewise, the Trust hopes developers will not build in designated agricultural zones.  However, Lancaster County continues to experience development outside UGAs; therefore Lancaster Farmland Trust has made preserving farms that are adjacent to or within one mile of UGAs a priority.  By doing so, the Trust can assure that development is contained within these UGAs.

Lancaster Farmland Trust utilizes Geographical Information Systems (GIS) on a daily basis to identify Lancaster County’s UGAs and strategically preserve farms in proximity to UGAs.  Specifically, the Trust employs a GIS program called the Land Evaluation Site Assessment to identify farms that are a high priority to preserve.  The LESA system evaluates farms on a variety of attributes including soil types, development pressures, farm viability, and proximity to other preserved farms.  Each category of attributes carries a different weight within the LESA evaluation in accordance with the goals that Lancaster Farmland Trust has established.  In reworking the LESA evaluation in 2005, the Trust has identified a farm’s proximity to UGAs as a priority.  In line with this strategy, farms will rank higher through LESA if they are located adjacent to or within one mile of a UGA.

LESSONS LEARNED

Our GIS capabilities at the Trust are vital for identifying these high priority farms, and our restructuring of our evaluation system has been successful thus far.  Lancaster Farmland Trust’s Land Preservation Committee and Board of Trustees utilize various GIS maps to base their decisions about the preservation of specific farms.  The Trust believes that creating a boundary of preserved farms around UGAs is a successful approach to keep development in check.  Even though land around these UGAs may be zoned as agricultural, there is no guarantee the zoning will not be changed.  On the other hand, preservation is perpetual, and we can therefore ensure that this land will remain available for agriculture for future generations.  Without GIS as a tool to identify UGAs and the farms that surround them, the Trust would be unable to effectively contribute to the land planning process.

One of the most successful examples of preserving farms around UGAs is seen in East Donegal Township, located in the eastern part of Lancaster County.  Not only does East Donegal Township boast one of the highest concentrations of preserved farms in the country, but it has successfully preserved farms to contain development within its UGA.  As depicted in the map, East Donegal Township’s UGA is flanked on nearly every side by preserved farms.

By utilizing GIS as a tool for smart growth, Lancaster Farmland Trust, the Agricultural Preserve Board, and the Lancaster County Planning Commission have actively contributed in creating well balanced agricultural communities around Lancaster County.

CONTACTS

Peter A. Olmsted,  Land Preservation Specialist

Lancaster Farmland Trust
128 East Marion Street
Lancaster, PA 17602
Office: (717) 293-0707   Cell: (978) 317-7613    Fax: (717) 293-0779
peter@savelancasterfarms.org