The
Land Preservation Committee is staffed by volunteers. All proceeds of the
Auto Show go to the purchase of farm land and other large tracts of land
in order to save farms and open
space from urban sprawl.
For
300 years... fertility.
Buckingham is the largest township in Bucks County; out of its 21,000
acres approximately 8,000 acres remain undeveloped.
Most of these acres are prime farmland and are in agricultural use. These
same acres are highly desired by developers because they are easy to build
on and are set in areas of great natural beauty.
With over half of the township developed, we are at risk of losing its
remaining productive farmland and its irreplaceable scenic and historic
character.
We know what the future will be if we do not rise to the challenge of
preserving as much as possible of Buckingham's green landscape.
What
we have accomplished:
Preservation of over 3,800 acres of land.
Thanks to preservation-minded landowners, the Bucks County Agricultural
Land Preservation Program, and the overwhelming support of Buckingham
residents, more than  3,800 acres of Buckingham's farms, fields and
woodlands have now been permanently protected from development.
Buckingham Township residents voted in 1995 to support farmland and open
space preservation, approving a $4 million bond for the purchase of development
rights on township properties. In 1999, by an 85% margin, Buckingham
voters approved a second referendum allowing the township to expand it program
of farmland preservation with a $9.5 million commitment.
Multiple
Paths to Saving
Buckingham's Farmland.
Twenty Buckingham farms containing 1,248 acres have been preserved
through township purchase of easements and thorough cooperative
purchases with the Bucks County Agricultural Land Preservation Program.
Nine Buckingham farms containing 693 acres have been preserved by the
Bucks County Agricultural Land Preservation Program (one additional
42-acre farm is pending).
Additional
Preservation Strategies are Protecting Buckingham Farmland:
Our transfer of development rights program has protected 442 acres.
Three pending development plans before the township are proposing the use
of TDRs.
Our spray irrigation system for wastewater disposal, an environmentally
responsible way to replenish groundwater supplies, takes place on 500
acres of township spray fields. By coordinating the spray schedule with
farming requirements, the fields remain in agricultural use.
The township has acquired and developed two parks containing 60 acres.
$1.5 million of the referendum-approved bond issue is set aside for
further parkland acquisition. A 50-acre purchase is pending.
Over 100 acres of open space have been preserved within developments.
Last and assuredly not least, Buckingham landowners have privately
protected 760 acres through gifts of land or permanent easements.
Total
Land Preserved = 4 Square Miles
If developed, the 3,800 permanently preserved acres could have yielded at
least 1,600 new homes, resulting in environmental deconstruction,
additional lost farms and farmers, more traffic, more schools, more
municipal services, higher taxes and a diminished quality of life.
Our
Plan
Our goal is to permanently protect at least half the remaining
undeveloped land in Buckingham, representing about 20% of the township's
total land mass. The areas we are most anxious to preserve and protect
include prime agricultural soils, historic villages and farmsteads, stream
valleys, woodlands and scenic view sheds. We plan to expand our parks and
community trails so that residents can more fully enjoy the beautiful
area in which we live. With community involvement and support, we will be
able to retain a large measure of our rich and historic landscape as a
legacy for many generations to come.
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