An Educational Overview for Residents

Upper Allen Township is currently seeing renewed public discussion around land preservation, open space, farmland protection, parks, and potential referendum options.

This page is intended to explain the topic in a factual, educational way so residents can better understand the terms, options, and public questions involved.

Land preservation usually means protecting land from future development through a legal agreement known as a conservation easement.

In many preservation programs, the landowner continues to own the property, but the right to develop the land is limited or removed. The land may remain in private ownership, but future development is restricted by the easement. This is different from the Township buying land outright and turning it into a public park.

Land preservation and public parks are related, but they are not the same thing.

Preserved land may remain privately owned and may not be open to the public.

Public parks are typically owned or managed by a public entity and are generally intended for public access, recreation, trails, fields, playgrounds, or other community uses.

That distinction matters because some residents may hear “open space” and assume it means public access. In reality, preserved farmland or open space may remain private property unless public access is specifically part of the agreement.

Upper Allen Township already has an Agricultural Security Area, also known as an ASA.

According to the Township’s official website, Upper Allen established its ASA in 2002, and as of 2024, the Township has more than 902 acres in its ASA.  

An ASA is a tool used in Pennsylvania to support agricultural activity and help protect farming operations. However, ASA enrollment is not the same as permanent preservation.

Land enrolled in an ASA may still need a separate conservation easement before it is permanently protected from development.

Some earlier land preservation materials stated that Upper Allen had 498 acres in Agricultural Security Areas.  

That number appears to be outdated or incomplete.

For public-facing educational material, the more current figure should be based on the Township’s official website, which states that Upper Allen has more than 902 acres in its ASA as of 2024. 

Upper Allen Township already has planning documents that connect parks, recreation, and open space.

The Township’s official plans page lists the Upper Allen Township Parks, Recreation & Open Space Plan, Spring 2016.  

This is important because land preservation discussions are not separate from broader Township planning. They may overlap with topics such as:

farmland protection

greenways

trails

passive recreation

public parks

future development patterns

environmental protection

stormwater and watershed planning

Silver Spring Township is often referenced as a nearby example of a municipal land preservation program.

According to Silver Spring Township, its Land Preservation Review Board was established in January 2014 after a successful voter referendum in November 2013. The referendum supported increasing the Earned Income Tax by one-tenth of one percent, or 0.1%, to fund land preservation.  

Silver Spring’s program considers properties that may include:

open space

woodlands

farmland

waterway protection

wetlands

The Township states that eligible properties generally must be at least 10 acres, with some exceptions.  

Silver Spring’s official FAQ also confirms that the voter-approved 0.1% Earned Income Tax increase is the funding source for land preservation.  

Land preservation programs can be funded in different ways:

property taxes

earned income tax

bond issues

partnerships with nonprofit land trusts

county farmland preservation programs

other public or private funding sources  

If Upper Allen Township were to move forward with a dedicated preservation program, residents would need clear information about the proposed funding source, the estimated cost, and whether voter approval would be required.

1. What type of land would be eligible?

• Would the program focus only on farmland, or would it also include forests, wetlands, stream corridors, greenways, and passive open space?

2. Would preserved land be open to the public?

• If public money is used to preserve land, would residents receive any public access, or would the land remain private?

3. How would properties be selected?

• Would land be ranked by acreage, development pressure, environmental value, agricultural quality, location, public benefit, or owner willingness?

4. Who would oversee the program?

• Would Upper Allen create a Land Preservation Board, Environmental Advisory Council, or another advisory body?

5. How would the program be funded?

• Would funding come from existing tax revenue, a new tax, earned income tax, a bond, grants, private donations, county partnerships, or a combination?

6. Would voters decide?

• If a dedicated tax or referendum is proposed, residents should understand the ballot language, cost, purpose, and long-term structure before voting.

7. What happens when available land is exhausted?

• If a preservation tax is approved and the Township eventually preserves all eligible or willing properties, residents should know whether the funding would stop, continue, be redirected, or require another public vote.

Upper Allen Township — Agricultural Security Area Advisory Committee
Use for: Upper Allen ASA creation date, current ASA acreage, meeting information.
Key fact: Upper Allen established its ASA in 2002 and has more than 902 acres in the ASA as of 2024.  

Upper Allen Township — FAQ Page
Use for: Plain-language explanation of the Township’s ASA and confirmation of the 902+ acre figure.  

Upper Allen Township — Plans Page
Use for: Confirmation that the Township has a Parks, Recreation & Open Space Plan, Spring 2016.  

Upper Allen Township — 2016 Parks, Recreation & Open Space Plan PDF
Use for: Deeper background on parks, open space planning, public input, and long-term recommendations.  

Upper Allen Township — Parks Department Page
Use for: Township parks mission, park planning, park maintenance, and links to annual reports.  

Cumberland County — Agricultural Land Preservation Guide
Use for: County-level farmland preservation program background and guide materials.  

WeConservePA — Agricultural Security Areas Guide
Use for: Clear explanation of ASAs, farmer protections, and how ASA status relates to preservation eligibility.  

WeConservePA Library — Municipal Open Space, Park, and Recreation Plans
Use for: Broader examples of municipal open space and recreation planning.  

Lancaster County Conservation District — Agricultural Land Preservation Program Example
Use for: General example of farmland preservation eligibility and county-level preservation criteria.

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture — Agricultural Security Areas
Use for: What an ASA is, how ASAs are created, seven-year review, and how ASA relates to farmland preservation eligibility.

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture — ASA Handbook PDF
Use for: More detailed explanation of ASA rules, procedures, petitions, and state guidance.

Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law — Pennsylvania Agricultural Area Security Law
Use for: Legal background on Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Area Security Law and ASA-related case law.

Penn State Extension — Understanding Agricultural Preservation in Pennsylvania
Use for: Educational background on farmland preservation and conservation easements in Pennsylvania.

Upper Allen Township has an existing Agricultural Security Area and an adopted Parks, Recreation & Open Space Plan. Nearby Silver Spring Township provides one example of a voter-approved land preservation program funded through a dedicated Earned Income Tax increase.

The current discussion in Upper Allen appears to involve whether the Township should explore a more formal land and open space preservation strategy. Before any referendum or funding decision moves forward, residents should receive clear answers about eligibility, cost, public access, oversight, funding, and long-term use of any dedicated tax revenue.