BERKS CONTINUES TO LEAD STATE IN FARMLAND PRESERVATION

          Harrisburg, August 9, 2007 -- An additional 744 acres of Berks County farmland will be preserved through the purchase of conservation easements valued at more than $1.9 million that were approved today by the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board, according to State Senator Michael A. O’Pake, a Preservation Board Member.
          According to Senator O’Pake (D-Berks), the following family farms will be preserved:
Family                                                   Municipality                             # of acres preserved

Clyde Loump                                            Penn Twp.                               125.5 acres

Elvin & Lenna Martin                                 Bethel Twp.                             138.6 acres

Kenneth & Jill Pearson Reider                    North Heidelberg Twp.              75.1 acres

Lee Schlappich                                         Centre Twp.                            121.9 acres

Lester & Marguerite Sterzel #2                  Jefferson Twp.                          37.2 acres

Lester & Marguerite Sterzel #3                  Upper Tulpehocken                    34.5 acres

Leroy & Luther Wagner                             Jefferson & Penn Twps.            153.4 acres

Douglas Yerger                                         Heidelberg, Lower & North
                                                               Heidelberg Twps.                      58.2 acres

                                                                         Total                            744.4 acres

                  Senator O’Pake explained that statewide 3,273 farms totaling 365,553 acres have been preserved since the program’s inception.  In Berks County, 470 farms consisting of 51,171 acres have been preserved.  Berks County has preserved more acreage of farmland than any other county in the state.

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