$100,000 Could Preserve Decaying Hotel For Future Rehab/ Experts Pitch To Put
Sterling In Mothballs

Abandoned Silk Mill Destroyed By Blaze

By MARK GUYDISH markg@leader.net
 Tuesday, May 22, 2001 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 15A 





BUTLER TWP. - It took more than a decade, but on Monday the first Luzerne
County farm was approved for the state farm preservation program. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I am thrilled,'' said Linda Thoma, chairwoman of the Luzerne County
Agriculture Preservation Board. ``This was a long time coming.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; On Monday, the state released a list of 33 farms totaling 3,619 acres in 12
counties joining the program, including about 85 acres owned by Butler
Township Farmer Richard Thomas. Thomas will receive $190,165 from the state. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In exchange, the county gets a state ``easement'' assuring that Thomas'
land, while still private property, can never be used for anything but
farming. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The state initiated the farm preservation program in 1989, but Luzerne
County was slow to get involved. Faced with mounting criticism for missing out
on the state money, county commissioners said in 1998 they were too busy to
form the required preservation board, but did so a year later. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Thomas was one of the first two farms in the county to apply for the
program. The other was owned by Clyde Young. A third farm has since applied,
Thoma said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The process is long and complicated for the farmer and the county, Thoma
said. Farms are ranked on a set of criteria, with the most important being
soil quality. That's worth half of a farm's score. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The other half is determined by the farm's proximity to other farms already
preserved, the potential for development - including how close sewer and water
lines are and how much demand there is for nearby housing or commercial
property - and ``farmland potential,'' which includes calculating how much of
the land can be farmed vs. how much is. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Thoma said getting the Thomas farm on the state list can make it easier for
future farmers trying to get into the program, because a farm's score
increases if it is near another farm already protected. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Although the preservation effort is a state program, most of the details
are up to the county, said Charlene Shupp, Department of Agriculture press
aide. The state sets aside money each year for the program, but some counties
have chosen to throw their own funds into the pot to increase the amount of
land preserved. Luzerne County has not budgeted money to purchase easements,
Thoma said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``It was an opportunity that wasn't exercised,'' Thoma said. ``It's not a
program for everyone, but farmers need options, and this is a viable option
for some people.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Mark Guydish, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7161. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Luzerne County Farm Breaks New Legal Ground 
Butler Township Property On Monday Became The First County Farm Approved For
The State Farm Preservation Program.

Luzerne County Farm Breaks New Legal Ground Butler Township Property On Monday Became The First County Farm Approved For The State Farm Preservation Program.