Farmland & Open Space Preservation

The Farmland Preservation Committee will meet at 7:00 pm on February 3, April 11, July 11, and October 10, 2024. All are invited to attend these meetings. Upcoming meetings will be temporarily held at the Neffs Volunteer Fire Company (3755 Park Ave, Neffs, PA 18065) while the North Whitehall Township building is undergoing renovations.

To view our most recent agenda please click HERE.

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What is an Agricultural Security Area (ASA)? ASA’s are intended to promote more permanent and viable farming operations in a community. It provides protection from nuisance ordinances, limits the ability to ever have your land condemned for new schools, roads, parks, or other governmental project, and is the first step in preserving your land, if you choose to do so. Having land enrolled in an ASA does not put any restrictions on the property and does not affect the landowner's ability sell the property or to use his or her property for non-agricultural development purposes.

What is Farmland Preservation? Farmland Preservation places an agricultural conservation easement on your property (minimum of ten farmable acres) which is a permanent legal restriction that limits future uses to agricultural purposes. There are many benefits to preserving your land! The landowner is financially compensated for preserving land and it permanently protects a family's farmland from being lost to future non-agricultural development. Families who join the Farmland Preservation program still own and operate their land, can pass the property onto family members when the time comes, or can sell the property, while preventing future development. One additional home is permitted to be built for a family member(s) or farm employee(s) once the land is preserved.

The first step towards preserving your land is to complete and return the ASA application. After receiving your application, you are entered into a 180-day waiting period before the land can be officially added into the townships ASA property list. At that point, you can apply to Lehigh County’s Farmland & Open Space Preservation program if you would like to preserve the land. There is a link to both of these applications at the bottom of this page.

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In 2019, the voters of North Whitehall Township approved a new tax (0.1 mill) to be used for Farmland and Open Space Preservation which generates approximately $160,000 in revenue annually. These funds are placed in a restricted account that may not be used for other Township purposes.

Success! North Whitehall currently has a total of 134 parcels in Agricultural Security Areas and six farms enrolled in the preservation program (as of May 29, 2024). The six preserved farms total 581.62 acres of protected land for future generations. In 2024, there are three more farms seeking preservation which will add an additional 243.72 acres bringing the total preserved land in North Whitehall to 825.35 acres.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to Mike Kukitz, Director of Grants, Preservation and Trails, at 610-799-3411 or by email at mkukitz@northwhitehall.org if you have any questions or would like more information. All calls and emails are held in strict confidence.

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Additional information can be found at the County’s website:
https://www.lehighcounty.org/Departments/Agricultural-Land-Preservation

Maps

• NWT AG Security Map
• NWT AG Preservation Map

Documents

• ASA Application
• ASA Application Instructions
• What is an Agricultural Security Area (ASA)
• Farmland / Open Space Program Application Form
• AG Conservation Easement Application (Lehigh County)
• AG Conservation Easement Frequently Asked Questions
• Bicentennial & Century Farm Application - Recognition for long standing family farms