The Department of Parks and Preservation administers the Agricultural Land Preservation Program for Chester County established in 1989 when the Chester County Commissioners authorized the Agricultural Land Preservation Board (ALPB) to implement the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase Program and the Chester County Challenge Grant Program. These programs were developed to strengthen the agricultural economy, protect prime farmland, and enable the County to purchase conservation easements from farmers.
Chester County proactively seeks to preserve the agricultural base of Chester County’s leading industry. The program guarantees a future food supply, contributes to a healthier economy, and protects the heritage of the rich agricultural history in Chester County. Through these programs, the County seeks to permanently preserve agricultural land by purchasing farmland preservation easements and supporting the owners of preserved farmland to be ideal land managers and stewards. These programs are structured to work with conservation partners from the Commonwealth and municipalities, as well as with landowners and other private funding sources to protect the investment of taxpayers through agricultural conservation easements.