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Centre County board selects appraiser, moves forward on two farm preservation projects
Summary
The board voted to award Agrarian and Associates as the county appraiser, decided not to request the "Allocation of Easement Value" page in farm appraisals, and voted to advance the Regina Michaels Farm and the Samuel & Evelyn Gray Farm with township funding commitments noted.
The Centre County Agricultural Land Preservation Board on Jan. 22 awarded the county appraiser contract and advanced two farms toward preservation.
Coordinator Elizabeth Pirrone-Brusse led discussion of appraisal scope and asked whether the board wished to request the "Allocation of Easement Value" page in farm appraisals; the board voted (motion by Thomas Songer III, seconded by Heather Ishler) not to request that page. The board opened proposals and awarded Agrarian and Associates as the appraiser for the next two-year period (motion by James Heckman, seconded by Heather Ishler); motion carried.
Elizabeth Pirrone-Brusse presented the Regina Michaels Farm in Ferguson Township with photos and reported it ranked No. 1 with an overall score of 81.8 out of 100. The board voted to move forward with the Regina Michaels Farm preservation (motion by Thomas Songer III, seconded by James Heckman).
The Samuel and Evelyn Gray Farm in Halfmoon Township was presented with a score of 74.339 out of 100; Halfmoon Township has committed up to $200,000 toward preserving that property. The board voted (motion by Heather Ishler, seconded by Joel Myers) to move forward with the Gray Farm. The Daniel and Claire Digman Farm (ranked No. 3) may be considered this year if funding allows; Halfmoon Township committed $45,000 which could allow it to be taken out of ranked order.
Coordinator Pirrone-Brusse also reported that $118,403 in funds was certified at the Jan. 20 Commissioners meeting — a Centre County allocation of $80,000 plus a Clean and Green rollback of $38,403 — and that several farms (Corl, Strouse, Ishler) were scheduled or being reevaluated for upcoming State Board meetings.
