Agricultural security areas are intended to promote more permanent and viable farming operations over the long term by strengthening the farming community's sense of security in land use and the right to farm. Agricultural security areas are created by local municipalities in cooperation with individual landowners who agree to collectively place at least 250 acres in an agricultural security area.

Butler County currently has 27 townships with agricultural security areas. They are: Adams, Brady, Buffalo, Butler, Center, Cherry, Clay, Clearfield, Clinton, Concord, Connoquenessing, Donegal, Forward, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Lancaster, Marion, Mercer, Middlesex, Muddy Creek, Oakland, Penn, Slippery Rock, Washington, Winfield and Worth.

The agricultural security areas must be reviewed every seven years.

Among some of the benefits the program provides to landowners:

-Municipalities agree to support agriculture by not passing nuisance ordinances which would restrict normal farming operations.

- Limitations are placed on the ability of government to condemn farmland for new schools, highways, parks or other government projects.

- Landowners who are part of a 500 acre or larger area may be eligible to sell a perpetual agricultural conservation easement (or their development rights) through the County Agricultural Land Preservation Program.

Having land enrolled in an agricultural security area does not restrict a landowner's ability to use his or her property for non-agricultural development purposes.

The following are ways a property is eligible:- Noncontiguous farm parcels must be at least 10 acres in size. The farm tracts needed to create a new 250 acre or larger agricultural security area do not have to be under the same ownership, or even located in the same municipality. The Agricultural Area Security Law (Act 43 of 1981) allows for the creation of joint municipality agricultural security areas.- The property should be viable agricultural land. Cropland, pasture, and woodland can all be included in an agricultural security area.- At least 50 percent of the land should be in Soil Capability Classes I-IV, as defined by the Butler County Soil Survey.- The property must be zoned to permit agricultural uses.Also, the Butler County Agricultural Preservation Board will accept applications for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program during the month of January. Remember, farmers must be enrolled in an Agricultural Security Area in their local township before submitting an application for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.Contact the Conservation District Office if you have any questions about Agricultural Security Areas or the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program in Butler County.Ron Fodor is district manager of the Butler County Conservation District.