Property owners are offered land and forest protection alternatives

DINGMAN — With developments springing up all over and property values rising, owners of remaining large tracts of property in Pike are hard pressed to keep them intact. Jessica Yoder, representing the Pike County Agricultural Land Preservation Program offered alternatives at a recent Dingman Township Board Supervisors meeting. Yoder said private farm land owners of 250 acres or more are eligible for the program. “The land does not have to be contiguous and several smaller than 250 acre parcels can be ‘joined’ together for this purpose,” said Yoder. She went on to say, “The property would become part of an agricultural security area that would preserve it for this purpose,” The program would also make low interest loans available for new machinery and other equipment for working timber farms, blueberry farms, green houses or maple sugar farms. “The owners still retains title to the property and can still sell or subdivide with no restrictions,” Yoder added. Yoder also manages the 2008 Gypsy Moth Suppression Program for the Pike County Conservation District. The program has an August 19 deadline for the submission of applications. “There was severe defoliation of Westfall Township as well as areas of Delaware Township but most of the lake communities had little damage by the gypsy moth caterpillars because they have gotten sprayed for the last two years,” Yoder commented. Town Solicitor John Klemeyer asked Yoder, “There were resident homeowners that were not eligible for spraying last year. Can a way be found to include them this year?” “It depends on whether they join with their neighbors to form a qualifying land size. Last year the cost was $260 for individual homeowners and $25 an acre for private communities,” Yoder responded. Town Supervisor Dennis Brink said, “If you look at the Jersey side of the Delaware River it looks very bad, with a lot of barren trees.”