5461 Oley Turnpike Rd, Reading, PA 19606

Agricultural Preservation District

The intent of the Agricultural Preservation District is as follows: To protect and promote the continuation of agriculture in areas with primary agricultural lands, per the Governor's executive order of March 20, 2003. Those areas being preserved are farmland, farmland in agricultural security areas, farmland enrolled in Act 319 of 1974, as amended clean and green or Act 515 of 1996, as amended, and land capability classes I, II, III and IV and other soils of statewide importance as defined by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.; To support the Governor's executive order regarding the irreversible conversion of primary agricultural land to uses that result in its loss as an environmental and essential food and fiber resource across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.; To strengthen and preserve strong agricultural activity where farming is a viable component of the local economy.; To promote agricultural land uses 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 highway and other public facilities in excess of those required by agricultural uses.; To maintain, protect and stabilize agriculture as an ongoing economic activity by permitting only those land uses and activities which are either agricultural in nature or act in direct support of agriculture.; To enhance the economic viability of agricultural operations by allowing compatible low-impact businesses as supplemental uses on properties.; To maintain the 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.