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York County plans retain 2,500-acre annual preservation benchmark; staff report exceeding that goal since 2020
Summary
County planners presented a full update to the Open Space & Trails Plan, incorporating trail corridors and retaining a preservation benchmark of 2,500 acres per year; staff said the county averaged over 3,100 acres preserved annually since 2020 and identified grant opportunities for acquisition planning.
A presenter identified as Anne summarized the Open Space & Trails Plan update as a complete replacement of the county's 2006 open-space plan and an incorporation of trail material from the 2011 County Trails Plan. She said the plan aims to protect natural areas (farmland, wetlands, parks), foster connected communities and coordinate decision-making across agencies and municipalities. "We've identified a benchmark to preserve or protect 2,500 acres of land annually," Anne said, and staff noted that since the county authorized the land preservation program in 2020 the county has preserved an average of over 3,100 acres per year.
Anne described evaluation criteria used to identify proposed trail corridors and said staff worked with the Rail Trail Authority and transportation planners to assess feasibility. She also noted there are grants available to support open-space acquisition and planning and that the update will carry an implementation program for periodic re-evaluation of corridors and preservation targets.
