Upper Allen Township and Silver Spring Township both have land-preservation tools, but the two municipalities are not structured the same way. Upper Allen Township has an Agricultural Security Area, commonly called an ASA, which the township says was established in 2002 and included more than 902 acres as of 2024. An ASA can support farming and may help land become eligible for future conservation easements, but it is not the same as permanent land preservation. Upper Allen’s own FAQ explains that ASA participation is voluntary and that, after the initial seven-year period, landowners can remove or amend their land from the ASA.  

Silver Spring Township has a more formal, locally funded land-preservation program. Its Land Preservation Review Board is responsible for identifying, evaluating, and recommending properties for preservation, including land with open space, woodlands, farmland, waterways, or wetlands. The township states that properties generally must be at least 10 acres, with some exceptions.  

The biggest difference is that Silver Spring Township has a dedicated preservation program that uses local funding to help permanently preserve land, while Upper Allen’s ASA is primarily an agricultural-protection and eligibility tool. Cumberland County describes agricultural conservation easements as a way to preserve land for agricultural production in perpetuity, meaning permanently.  

Based on current public information, Silver Spring Township appears to have substantially more permanently preserved land than Upper Allen Township. A February 2026 Silver Spring Township Land Preservation Review Board agenda states that, to date, 23 properties have been preserved for more than 1,384 acres. That is a clear township-reported preservation figure.  

By comparison, Upper Allen Township publicly reports more than 902 acres in its ASA, but that number should not be presented as permanently preserved acreage. ASA land may be agriculturally significant and may have certain protections, but it does not automatically mean the land is protected from development forever.  

Cleanest Explanation: 

Silver Spring Township has preserved more than 1,384 acres across 23 properties through its land-preservation program, while Upper Allen Township reports more than 902 acres in its Agricultural Security Area. These are not equal categories. Silver Spring’s figure refers to preserved properties, while Upper Allen’s ASA figure refers to land enrolled in an agricultural-security program that can support agriculture and future preservation but is not automatically permanent preservation.

This distinction matters because public discussions sometimes use “open space,” “farmland,” “ASA,” and “preserved land” interchangeably. They are related, but they are not the same. A township may identify agricultural land, plan for open space, or maintain an ASA, but permanent preservation usually requires a conservation easement, funding, landowner participation, and formal action through a county, township, state, or land-trust program.

Public discussions sometimes use terms such as “open space,” “farmland,” “Agricultural Security Area,” and “preserved land” as if they mean the same thing. These terms are related, but they are not interchangeable.

The factual distinction is simple: Silver Spring Township’s reported preservation acreage reflects land preserved through a dedicated land-preservation program, while Upper Allen Township’s reported ASA acreage reflects land enrolled in an Agricultural Security Area. Both relate to farmland and open space, but they are not the same legal or policy category.

Upper Allen Township has an Agricultural Security Area, commonly called an ASA. According to the township, the ASA was established in 2002 and included more than 902 acres as of 2024. An ASA can support agriculture and may help land become eligible for future preservation, but it is not the same as permanent land preservation. Upper Allen Township also explains that ASA participation is voluntary and that landowners may remove or amend land from the ASA after the initial seven-year period.

By comparison, Silver Spring Township has a more formal land-preservation program supported by a dedicated, voter-approved local funding source and a preservation review structure. That type of program is different from maintaining an ASA. It is designed to help fund and support long-term preservation efforts, often through conservation easements or similar legal tools.

The key distinction is this: permanently preserved land generally requires a conservation easement or another formal legal restriction, while ASA enrollment is primarily an agricultural-protection and eligibility tool. Therefore, ASA acreage should not be presented as permanently preserved acreage unless a conservation easement or other permanent restriction is also in place.

Silver Spring Township provides a nearby example of how a local preservation program can be structured. However, that model cannot simply be copied into Upper Allen Township without a public process. For Upper Allen to consider a similar approach, the township would need to determine what land should be eligible, how the program would be funded, whether voters would be asked to approve dedicated funding, who would review applications, how landowners would participate, and how the program would coordinate with county, state, or land-trust partners.

That kind of structure requires public discussion, legal review, financial analysis, landowner participation, and formal township action. Silver Spring’s program can serve as a useful comparison, but Upper Allen would need its own deliberate process before creating a comparable preservation program.