|
Senate Votes to Expand Farmland Preservation Program to Include
Land Used for Commercial Equine Activity
HARRISBURG -- The
Senate today approved legislation that would expand the state’s farmland
preservation program to include land that is used for the commercial boarding
and training of horses and other commercial equine activity, according to Sen.
Mike Waugh (R-York).
Waugh, who chairs the Senate
Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said House Bill 619, sponsored by Rep.
Art Hershey, is part of a comprehensive “Farmers First Agenda,” which he
introduced this summer along with Sen. Noah Wenger (R-Lancaster), the
committee’s vice chairman.
The package of legislation
includes a number of measures designed to preserve farmland, prevent sprawl,
help farmers be more competitive and ensure that agriculture remains
Pennsylvania’s top industry.
Waugh explained that House
Bill 619 would acknowledge the importance of the equine industry in
Pennsylvania, which generates over $1.12 billion in economic activity annually.
As the law now stands, land
used for equine activities other than horse breeding does not qualify under
state law because no agricultural product is produced.
Commercial equine activity
would include horse boarding and training, riding or driving lessons, trail
rides and therapeutic riding and driving.
“Our goal is to preserve
more valuable farmland and encourage activities that provide valuable support to
the agriculture industry here in Pennsylvania,” Waugh said. “Many of these
equine activities use a great deal of land that can remain free from
development.”
He noted that Pennsylvania
leads the nation in the total number of farms and total acreage preserved for
agriculture. Currently, 2,687 farms and 308,461 acres have been preserved
through the state program.
|
