HARRISBURG – York county Sen Kristin Philips-Hill introduced legislation to ensure fair compensation when preserved farmland is acquired through eminent domain, protecting both taxpayer dollars and the integrity of Pennsylvania’s nationally recognized farmland preservation program.
Pennsylvania taxpayers invested hundreds of millions of public dollars to preserve agricultural land, protecting more than 6,600 farms encompassing more than 650,000 acres from development since the program began in 1988, according to the PA Department of Agriculture. Phillips-Hill argues that current law does not require entities exercising eminent domain to compensate for the full preserved value of that land, only its underlying agricultural value, leaving taxpayers under-reimbursed and weakening the preservation commitment made by participating farm families. Senate Bill 1098 will require that when preserved farmland is condemned for non-agricultural use, compensation must reflect both the fair market value of the land and the taxpayer dollars invested to permanently preserve it. This ensures the public is made whole and the preservation program remains viable for future generations.
Phillips-Hill noted that while infrastructure and public projects are at times necessary, they should not come at the expense of responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources.
