471 Swope Rd, Bethel, PA 19507

Agricultural Preservation District

The purpose and intent of the Agricultural Preservation District are as follows: To protect and promote the continuation of agriculture in areas with valuable agricultural lands and soils.; To promote and preserve Farmland, Farmland in Agricultural Security Areas, Farmland enrolled in Act 319 of 1974 as amended Clean and Green, and Land Capability Classes I, II, III, and IV and other prime soils. ; To prevent the irreversible conversion of primary agricultural land to uses that result in its loss as an environmental and essential food and fiber resource within Bethel Township. ; To strengthen and preserve strong agricultural activity as a viable component of the Bethel Township economy.; To promote agricultural land use and activities and other uses and activities which act in direct support of agriculture.; To protect and stabilize the essential characteristics of these areas, to minimize conflicting land uses detrimental to agriculture enterprises, and to limit development which requires highways and other public facilities.; To maintain, protect and stabilize agriculture as an ongoing economic activity by permitting only those land use and activities which are either agricultural in nature or act in direct support thereof.; To maintain the agricultural land resource base, that is, agricultural parcels or farms in sizes which will permit efficient, profitable agricultural operations. ; To keep separate agricultural land use and activities from incompatible residential, commercial and industrial development, and public facilities.; To protect land for agricultural purposes. To preserve prime agricultural soils and farmland to the maximum extent allowed by law, considering topography, soil type and classification, and present use.; To recognize that farming and other agriculture activities are the highest, best and fully developed land use.; To further the goals of the Bethel Township Comprehensive Plan of preserving agricultural and farmlands and promoting them as a part of the local economy.; To support the goals and land use plan of the Berks County Comprehensive Plan which identifies Bethel Township as an area containing valuable agricultural uses.